


Gaze at the Stars with Closed Eyes

by xburningwirex



Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: (I dont think thats the right tag but), Abusive Parents, Action/Adventure, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, All the parents are Poly, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Author Projecting onto Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Author is Neurodivergent and struggles with Memory, Autistic Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Baby Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Being Lost, Black Markets, Blood, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Butterflies, Cat Parent Joxaren | The Joxter, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Mumintrollet | Moomintroll/Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Eye Selling, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Feral Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Fights, First few chapters are....Bad😬, Found Family, Gen, Good Parent Joxaren | The Joxter, Gun Violence, Gunshot Wounds, Hemulens Hate Mumriks, I'm not sure if racist is the correct term????, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Implied/Referenced eye gouging, Joxaren | The Joxter Meets Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Joxaren | The Joxter-Centric, Moomintroll is a Good Boyfriend, Murder-Suicide, Mymble is a Good Mom, No beta: we die like men, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Original Character(s) Crushing on Joxaren | The Joxter, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Police, Police Brutality, Prison, Protective Joxaren | The Joxter, Racism Towards Mumriks, Slow To Update, Snusmumriken | Snufkin Has Paws and a Tail, Snusmumriken | Snufkin is a Cat, Story progresses in years at one point, Swearing, This story got dark...Fast-, Violence, esp after i fixed it smh, i might as well just call this fic joxter and friends🙄🙄, jail time, joxter is traumatized honestly, joxter needs a hug, snufkin needs a hug, whatever sorry that the tags are jumbled :(, wtf why did all my tags get messed up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:56:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23885602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xburningwirex/pseuds/xburningwirex
Summary: ｡☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆｡A what-if story. What if Joxter didn't "abandon" his boy?What if Joxter knew about his son and was searching for him?What if....Everyone thought he was dead?｡☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆｡⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾A long, angsty adventure story in which a very tired father won't stop at anything to see his son once more, even if it takes more than eight years.⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾(or in other words, joxter spends snufkin's entire life searching for him and snufkin n everyone else thinks he b dead)Jox//Kin shippers DNI!!! This is a fluffy father-son found family story not shipping fuel. (sorry, i forgot to add this earlier)(•ˋ _ ˊ•)(Update postponed due to an emergency, will return soon!!!! )
Relationships: Joxaren | The Joxter & Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Joxaren | The Joxter/Mymlan | The Mymble, Joxaren | The Joxter/Original Character(s), Mumintrollet | Moomintroll & Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Mumintrollet | Moomintroll/Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Snusmumriken | Snufkin & Everyone
Comments: 8
Kudos: 89





	1. To be held

**Author's Note:**

> As in, Joxter learns that he should hold his son more.
> 
> (This chapter is a biiit short as it will be in the beginning chapters but it will be longer soon! <3)

"What a wondrous fellow you are, Nuuskamuikkunen," 

  
Joxter's icy blue eyes gazed gently at the small warm bundle before him.  
His tail dragged around on the bed, curious and watching what this baby Mumrik would do next.  
Snufkin was a few months old, he was almost delicate. Joxter, however, was a strong Mumrik, and knew how strong he could be.

  
He hardly picked up his son.

  
He didn't want to harm him.

  
"Uwwaa..."

  
"Yes, Nuuski?"

  
His small, brown paws reached up and out toward Joxter and he froze.  
Snufkin wanted to be held, to have interaction. Joxter, stricken with fear, only held out a finger for his son to grasp on.

  
As soon as the finger hovered over him, Snufkin latched one of his paws onto it and began gnawing on it.

Joxter yelped before cackling, "Betrayallll!" He rested his cheek on his other paw whilst Snufkin bit away at his finger.

  
He stared at the tiny size of his son before raising an eyebrow, he thought he was tough and scary, huh? "You are... _very_ tiny, Nuuskamuikkunen." 

Snufkin stopped at that and flashed Joxter a smile.

Joxter was a strong mumrik, he could withstand a lot of things...But his son's smile? He's falling apart.  
While Joxter was dying from the adorableness of his son, Snufkin took the chance to crawl his way into his arms.  
  
"Oh!"  
  
Joxter stared down at the small Mumrik nuzzling his chest.  
He swallowed hard, afraid to break the small kit. Snufkin noticed his hesitance and whined, appearing to almost start crying.  
  
"No, no, no, no! It's okay, Nuuski!"  
  
He had to do it eventually, right?  
  
Delicately, he scooped his son up into his arms and held him just as gently as Mymble did.  
  
"That's what you wanted for a while, huh?"  
  
The tiny Mumrik nodded and giggled.  
  
Another shot to Joxter' heart.  
  
Why are baby Mumriks so...cUTE!?!   
  
Joxter thought for a moment before gasping, "I have an idea! Why don't I show you the forest, eh? How's that for an exciting day?" He grinned.  
Snufkin must've liked the idea because he clapped and clapped and giggled his little heart out.  
  
"But then right after, you're taking a nap, understood?"  
  
Snufkin almost pouted but didn't want to risk getting the nap earlier then offered.  
  
"Alrighty then, let's go!"   
  
Joxter held Snufkin as gingerly as he could as he stepped out of the room.  
Outside was Moominmaiden- err..Moominmamma! And Moomin...Pappa. He nervously smiled at the Moomins, a familiar stab to his heart returned when Moominpappa smiled back.  
Moominmamma smiled too, but that didn't really affect him.

It was so long ago, Joxter shouldn't be dwelling on it now. Especially since he's moved on and that he has a son of his own now.  
But there's still the sting. The slight twinge of longing, that maybe that smile, that _moomin_ could've been his to hold and cherish.  
  
It was too late now. Hesitance and holding back and asking for patience cost him a future. 

  
The soft shuffling in his arms brought him back from wistful daydreaming.  
  
His son was growing restless and wanted to go.  
Despite the longing, Joxter knew that he prefered this future, even if it meant not being able to have Moominpappa.  
  
He wouldn't trade his son for anything in the world.  
  
He finished making his way to the start of the forest. When he'd leave for his winter travels, he'd always make sure that the tallest tree at the front was still standing strong.   
  
It was, as always. It was a useless habit and really didn't help with anything but as a mysterious creature, he did so anyways.   
  
The Mumrik in his arms stared out at the large trees. He had never seen such large beings! So tall and so elegant. He felt oddly attached to them. Like the wild was his nature.  
  
"Do you like them, Nuuski? Those are trees. Very wondrous, correct?"  
  
The Mumrik giggled once again and kicked his paws in the air in agreement.   
  
Joxter fondly grinned as he walked deeper into the forest.  
  
He eventually found himself absentmindedly whistling a soft tune.  
  
Snufkin swung his tail to the soft gentle sound. Joxter stopped when he noticed, "Oh that? That is just my spring tune! Perhaps you'd use it too on your travels and when you return back to a Moomin just as well." He stated as Snufkin nodded, nuzzling his chest. 

  
He continued whistling as Snufkin took it in.  
  
What a beautiful sound.  
  
Before he knew it, a gentle yellow butterfly soared above his head and landed on his nose.  
Snufkin tried to look at it clearly but...It was hard, for obvious reasons.  
He watched it cautiously before it fluttered its wings, causing him to sneeze.

He let out a tiny laugh as it flew away.  
  
"Ah, so I see you've discovered a butterfly. Those won't hurt you just make sure they don't get your eyes!"  
  
Snufkin shook his head as he sneezed once more.  
"Mhm, bless you Nuuskamuikkunen."  
  
He thought for a moment. An idea!  
  
"Want to see some mushrooms?"  
  
"Uwa!"  
  
"I'm assuming that means yes!"  
  
Joxter had travelled a lot in his years and there's one thing he truly found boring...Mushroom picking.  
  
But there was always fun when the mushrooms that are taken belong to someone. Someone such as a hoarding hemulen.


	2. bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As in, Joxter learns things about his kids and he's a bit tired.

" _get OUT of my damn mushroom patch, filthy Mumrik!_ "  
  
Joxter let out a hearty laugh as he held his son securely with one arm, the other occupied with a stolen basket full of stolen mushrooms.  
He watched the hemulen shout and try to make him flee but the hemulen knew what Joxter was capable of, so a safe distance was kept.

Joxter stuck his tongue out in defiance as Snufkin did the same, but instead blew a raspberry.

"Woah-haha! Good job, kiddo!" Joxter praised, as the Hemulen's snout turned red in fury.

" _Filthy child! How dare you!_ " The hemulen stepped forwards a few, forgetting Joxter.

Snufkin yelped and buried his face in Joxter's chest, searching for security.

Joxter wrapped his tail around the basket, keeping it as far away as possible.

He hovered a protective arm above his son's back. “Shh...Sh... It’s okay, Nuuski.” He whispered before hissing at the Hemulen, his blue eyes flashing with a brighter blue light, ears flat down in anger.

The Hemulen knew that this was his cue to apologize and leave unless he wanted to leave with a lost limb.

He stammered out what seemed to be a mixture of "I'm sorry" and "forgive me" before rushing inside. Joxter huffed, his ears going back in their regular position and his blue eyes quit glowing.  
"What a mess!" He grumbled.

Oh, the glowing eyes? Yeah. That phenomenon only happens when a Mumrik gets really upset, signifying to 100% not mess with that Mumrik at that time.  
He turned back to his son in his arms, who had bright honey eyes filled with fear.

“Hush now, little one, it's okay...” He comforted.

He shouldn't have brought him here! He mentally scolded himself for being so _irresponsible._

Snufkin then started laughing when he realized he wasn't in danger.

In fact, (if he could even-) he'd say that he had fun! Joxter tilted his head in confusion, …why was he laughing?

“You are a silly fellow, Nuuskamuikkunen.”

Snufkin took a small fist and gently tapped Joxter’s chest. “Yes, Nuuski?”

He made a whimper, sounding a bit like Joxter’s spring tune.

“Ah, you want to hear my spring tune again.”

“S…Spring.”

 _His first words!!_ …Well, first word.

“Yes! Spring! You magnificent critter! Oh, Mymble will be as proud of you as I am!” Snufkin clapped his paws in glee.

Joxter beamed, his heart warm. “I’ll play the spring tune for you while we go home, it’s nearly nap time!”

With a pout, Snufkin nodded his head and closed his eyes as his father began whistling the melody.

* * *

Snufkin was much bigger as time passed, now a full year old.

As with the fact that he grew, he was much more difficult to carry now.

He was the slightest bit heavier and Joxter didn’t really have time to adjust.

Along with that, Snufkin wanted to be carried a lot more often now, constantly pulling at the cuffs of his father’s brown ragged pants.

Joxter had gotten more comfortable with carrying his son as he wasn’t as small and delicate as before.  
But as with most dads his age, (Joxter was still in his late 20’s, mind you) he had to take a break occasionally.

So, he’d set him down after a long shift of carrying him.

Now, Snufkin had strong little toddler legs, being able to stand up and even hop at times, but that didn’t stop him from throwing a fit when he was placed down.

Joxter would always try to help with soothing the very…expressive tantrums that Snufkin has.  
But Snufkin would get what he wanted anyways as Joxter would pick him up once more until Snufkin started complaining about being carried as well.

Tired from a day of picking berries to help feed the Mymble children and Snufkin, Joxter slumped onto a torn leather couch.

More than ever he craved that winter travelling. He missed the freedom and…Not having 36 children at his feet running around all feral.

“Sleepy, dear?”

Joxter opened his eyes -which he hadn’t noticed were closed- to see his lovely Mymble.

“Far worse, darling.” Mymble laughed as she made her way over to him, leaning on the arm of the couch.

“You’ll get used to it.”

“Sure,” Joxter wore a cheeky grin.

Mymble smiled back before turning silent, and ran her fingers through her messy, Orange hair.

“Joxter…. You have to stop bothering Hemulens.”

Joxter felt his fur bristle the slightest bit, “I love you dear buuut…No.”

“But the Hemulens will just hate Mumriks more than they already do! Isn’t it bad enough as it is?”

“It’s not that bad, pumpkin,” He flicked his tail dismissively, “They deserve the chaos, you know what they do to Mumriks.”

“That I do.” She paused. Then she squeezed his shoulder tenderly, “Okay, I love you too but when the police get you by the tail don’t come crying to me, Joxy.”

Joxter cackled and patted Mymble’s hand upon his shoulder with admiration, “Always, dear.”

After a few moments of the two staring and smiling, three Mymble children ran by with Snufkin and an eldest little my petrifying the Mymbles.

Not Snufkin, for he was joining in on the fun of spooking.

“Don’t you got children to watch?” Joxter teased.

“Don’t you got dinner to make?” Mymble retorted.

Another fit of laughter ensues before being cut short with a soft kiss to the lips.

“Raawwrrr!”

“Nuuskamuikkunen! do _not_ pull your brother’s tail!”

And with that, Mymble went after the five kids.

Joxter watched her go with a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest. “What a splendid Mymble...” He whispered.

Then a thought returned, “Dinner! Right…. Berry time.” He cracked his knuckles and made his way to the kitchen.

* * *

Joxter gazed at the 36 beds before him, every single one had a Mymble child sleeping soundly…. Except for two, of course.

Snufkin and Little My.

Little My, one of the rowdiest and one of the few eldest, hated having a bedtime, so usually she’d stay up much later.

Snufkin…Just was one of the last to be put to bed.

The Mumrik placed his son down in his small bed, fondly amused.

He gave him a kiss on the forehead and waited until his little breaths became gentle snores.

He then stood up and made his way out of the room before being stopped by a whimpering little Mymble.

Little My.

He watched as the Mymble tried to cover up her face, afraid to show any feeling.

He wasn’t sure how a three-year-old could even care about such a thing…But then again, it is Little My.

“Shh, it’s okay, My.” He coaxed, “You don’t have to hide.”

The Mymble lowered her hands and sniffled. Joxter opened his arms, offering comfort.  
Little My dashed to him as he enveloped her in his arms, rubbing her back gently. “Now, it must be far past your bedtime, My. I’ll stay with you ‘til you fall asleep.”

She nodded, letting Joxter pick her up and carry her to her bed.

As she was placed down, she almost immediately wrapped herself in a soft, warm blanket and rested her head on a fluffy pillow, closing her eyes. Joxter smiled, ‘ _wild what attention can bring._ ’ He thought.

He gently ran his fingers through Little- _his daughter’s_ hair.

A pang of guilt hit him; he should’ve given the other Mymble children far more attention!

He may not be their birth father, but he might as well give him as much love as he gave Snufkin.

Not that he wasn’t doing it before, of course! He just spent a lot more time with Snufkin as... He was the youngest, he assumed.

Soon, he heard soft snores coming from Little My as well as he pulled his hand away gently as to not wake her. He then stealthily made his way over to Snufkin and gently caressed his son’s forehead.

“Goodnight, little ones.” He whispered gently, observing the entire room.

Then he made his exit, turning off the lights and gently closing the door.

Outside, he glanced out the window. It was pitch dark outside as he could see stars twinkling.

But those…Weren’t stars, he soon found out.

They were snowflakes, drifting down to paint the green of the grass a pale white.

Winter was here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why??? does this look so short?? i actually worked ha r d on this one bc my brain has been sucked d r y because of online school-  
> anyways,, thanks for reading yall!  
> also little my n joxter bonding for the soul bc the idea made me soft and i think they'd get along  
> also yes joxter's eyes glow bc i say that mumrik's eyes glow when they made okay thanks.  
> bye yall! <3


	3. The clouds start to roll in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As in, Joxter can't stop pining for his old friend and feels crushing guilt after Snufkin learns to hunt!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick warning ig???  
> lots of repressed feelings!! joxter n moominpappa hav repressed feelings!! so if yall arent really down for a slightly boring??? chapter,, ig yall could skip? but either way, this is jus self-indulgent for me or joxter x moominpappa shippers (i kinda ship them but like,, when they're younger cuz i ship them when their older with their current wives yk)  
> so in conclusion, lots of pining, and baby moomin n snufkin content because i say so  
> thanks! <3

Time flies by faster than Joxter can remember, because suddenly it’s like he’s back home and his son is two.

Because he is.

Joxter couldn’t believe it!

Time was flying by so fast that he could hardly keep up!   
He might as well make the best of it. On his most recent winter travel, he had to fend for his own, which meant he could hunt.

Mumrik nature, some would call it, but Joxter truly didn’t know another Mumrik that did this. Most Mumriks respected nature and would most likely not hunt at all.

Joxter respects nature as well, of course, he just… Doesn’t mind.

So why not teach his son how to hunt as well?

He doubted that Snufkin would remember how to in the future, but he might as well just teach him through his childhood.

“Nuuski?” Joxter popped into the room Snufkin sat in, scratching patterns into the wooden floors. The small Mumrik glanced up, his lips curling into a smile, “Pappa!” He reached down and picked up the Mumrik by his torso and cradled him. “You seem happy,” Joxter teased, tapping his son’s nose once.

“Mmhm!” Snufkin agreed, “I missed youuu!”

Joxter blinked, he got back a while ago?

“I’ve been here for a while, you know.”

Snufkin nodded, “Yeah, well, it was _soooo_ boring without you!”

Joxter then rolled his eyes affectionately. For a two-year-old, he had a lot of vocabulary...

“Well, I’m back now! How about I teach you something else for now that…” He trailed off for a moment, searching for the right things to say, “won’t get you yelled at.”

Snufkin would bounce up and down if he wasn’t in Joxter’s arms.

Something fun that won’t get him yelled at?! He relished the thought.

“Yaa!” He cheered. The taller Mumrik gently ruffled his son’s hair, “Hunting time.”

He stepped out into the light.

* * *

Back at the start of the forest, Joxter took a quick glance at the tallest tree.   
‘ _Useless habit_ ’ His mind echoed. He entered the somber forest, large trees towering over them. The sun was hitting a bit strong today as he could easily see the dappled muddy floor covered in spots of sunlight. He lifted his gaze, rays of sunlight falling upon his skin as he winced. The sun was awfully bright today. He had to be sure any small prey wouldn't notice his shadow in the sun. Once he had found the perfect spot, he placed little Snufkin down.

"Alrighty, Nuuski! This is something that most Mumriks know what to do! Or at least...What I'm assuming they know how to do."   
He crouched down to his son's level, "First things first! Make sure the wind is working in your favor! Make sure the prey won't notice you."

Joxter got down on all fours, his son following his actions. "Then, spot your prey."

He laid his eyes upon a small mouse. _Perfect._

"Then..."

He whispered as he felt his muscles tighten.

"Pounce!" He whisper-shouted.

Caught in between his sharp teeth, the mouse writhed for a moment before falling into a blissful forever sleep. Joxter grinned and spat the mouse out and held it gently in his hand. Snufkin stared with wide eyes, impressed.

"Now it's your turn!"

Snufkin did as he was told as he caught a unsuspecting shrew, holding it proudly within his jaws.

"Good job!" Joxter would've clapped if it wouldn't scare away the critters.

"Umh... I suppose you _could_ eat them raw, but you're far too young for that. So we can go home and cook the shrew and the mouse if you'd like." Joxter stared down at the small animals.

Snufkin shook his head.   
He had fun hunting, but he didn't want to eat them! Joxter shrugged, "Fine by me! Let's just make sure their lives are given thanks for. Whenever you hunt, always thank them for giving up their lives."

The Mumrik nodded again as he handed his father the shrew. Joxter stood up all the way and found a nice spot to bury the critters.

He opened a hole and buried them, muttering a soft "Thank you." and then covered the grave.

"Thank you..." Snufkin repeated.

"Yes! Like that, good job!" He grinned at his son. "Alright! That got a tad bit sad! But have no fear, little one, how about we go stop by Moomin's place?"

Snufkin thought hard, _moomin? weren't there three moomins?_

"Which one?"

"Hahaha! The only one I truly wish to visit! You know, Moominpappa. Not that I don't wish to see Moominmamma either, she is very kind." Joxter picked his son up once more.

"Ohh, I get it! Okay...Yes! Let's go!" Snufkin exclaimed.

The taller Mumrik took no hesitation has he almost immediately bolted to where the Moomins resided. Though, he felt a familiar pang of guilt hit him.

He had to stop these feelings, no matter what it took.

* * *

"Aaaaaare they...Staring at each other?"

"Yes, indeed, Joxter! They've been at it for almost 12 minutes now!"

Joxter gazed down at the small Moomin and his son staring intensely at each other.

The baby Moomin had bright blue eyes, which made Joxter flinch. Very similar eyes to his own.

"Are they going to stop?" Joxter cackled. Moominpappa only shrugged, laughing along with him. "Ehh, it's only a matter of time, of course! They'll tire each other out."

The two boys erupted with laughter again. Joxter missed this. He missed hanging out with his boyf-BUDDY! He abruptly shook his head.

_Damnit! I can't let these feelings come back! I'll only ever be committed to my lovely Mymble and that's final!_

He shouted at himself. Of course, he had these same warm fuzzy feelings about his dear Mymble, but somehow, he was getting them for his friend too? He's always had them. They're just...repressed well enough that they feel new.

A tiny sneeze shattered his train of.... Panic?

"Nuusk-Nuuskamuk...Joxter's son! Be gentle, my boy!" He scolded warmly.

Snufkin blushed shyly and pulled his paw away from Moomin's snout that he had been mercilessly booping. "It's all good, son, no need to apologize!" He quickly stated.

Snufkin only nodded and smiled before pouncing onto the Moomin. Moominpappa almost got up from his chair to say something else but...Then he noticed he was must merely nuzzling him, so he relaxed his muscles and sat back down.

Meanwhile, Joxter watched all of this with a full, tender heart. Damn! He always loved watching Moominpappa act so fatherly! And especially towards his own son?! His fantasies came back to life! But he shoved them back down and growled at himself.

' _quit being so ungrateful, you rusty ol' metal! You have a perfectly fine life! Quit acting like a child!_ ' He had about lost it with his mind. He was sick and tired of all these thoughts.

He really did have to get rid of these feelings, because all in all, his son _and_ his Mymble always come first.

* * *

After an hour or so passed, Snufkin and Moomintroll had fallen asleep,

They had spent over 40 minutes rough housing before they decided to just stare at each other once again. Joxter hadn't really paid attention, he knew his son was the least likely to get hurt so he focused mostly on Moominpappa and what he had to say.

Joxter placed a comforting hand on Moomintroll's soft furry forehead and then trailed over to his son's soft cheek. These kids meant the world to him and he didn't know what he'd do with himself if he ever lost them, especially his son.

"Could be us."

A soft voice muttered, far too low for a normal creature to hear. But Joxter was no ordinary creature as his ears picked up every word.

"Pardon?"

"NOTHING!!" Moominpappa stumbled out.

Joxter laughed, hoping to spare his friend's feelings, "No really! I didn't hear!"

Moominpappa chuckled nervously, "Haha...Y-yeah! It's um..Not important!"

Joxter almost let a smile slip onto his face.

He shoved down his fuzzy feelings again and glanced away, "Of course, need not to worry, right?"

"R-right! Say, do you think you'd have to leave soon?" He sounded disappointed.

Joxter snickered, "Of course not! Mymble will be alright and I am pretty tired to carry a two-year-old right now."

He would've face palmed. He couldn't keep doing this!

The Moomin grinned, "Splendid! Come now," He grabbed Joxter's hand.  
Joxter's cheeks turned a soft shade of red. It was barely noticeable unless you gazed _very_ hard, "We have a guest room where we can catch up!"

"That's wonderful!" He stammered as he was dragged down a hallway to a guest room. On the way, he quickly stopped by where Moominmamma was and Moominpappa quickly announced that he and Joxter were going to go catch up.

Moominmamma, the kind soul, had no protest and just painted away on her canvas.

When they arrived in the room, Moominpappa flopped onto the bed, "Tell me! Tell me of your most recent winter adventure!" He patted the empty space beside him.

Joxter laid down next to his friend and began telling his story, and he slipped a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugHHHH why does this look so short T~T   
> sorry for the wait everyone! This dumb covid-19 biz is messing up everything :(  
> But it's finally here!! :D jus more fluff before it all comes crashing down.
> 
> Next chapter will be the calm before the storm, prepare uwu  
> it's going to be a while before yall get fluff again >:)
> 
> Sorry for the unnecessary moominpappa x joxter pining bs KSJDHDHKS it's notttt exactly important at all but it adds to this story so yall dont get bored, haha! <3  
> also thanks to the kind user who informed me ab the glowing eyes! nice to know that it's sort of canon ^w^
> 
> Thanks for reading! chapter 4 will be out as soon as possible!
> 
> Bye yall! <3


	4. The calm before the storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As in, Joxter is back on his travels and things have just begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING WARNING WARNING!!  
> FROM THIS CHAPTER FORWARDS THERE WILL BE DEPICTIONS OF POLICE BRUTALITY!! PLEASE STAY SAFE!! ALSO ACAB  
> oh and  
> No, this fic is not from "recent" events going on in our world since it was made before that,,, however if you wish ig you could take it that way :) remember black lives matter!! stay safe and healthy yall!!

Another year, Snufkin is three.

He's grown less attached, asking less and less to be held. This... Sort of stung Joxter a bit.

Sure, he enjoyed less back pain, but man, he missed holding his son a lot more often. But he knew that it was coming either way, so he chose not to dwell on it.

Besides, it was winter.

It was time to go.

"Pappa?"

"Yes, Nuuskamuikkunen?"

"Do you really have to go?"

Joxter softed his gaze, "Of course I do, my boy. It's a Mumrik thing." He placed a comforting hand on his son's fluffy hair.

"Y-yeah, but..."

"Nuuski, things are just going to be in certain ways that you may not like. Somethings you can change while others," He motioned a hand to himself, "Cannot. I'm bound to leave every year. It's just the way things are."

"But what if you don't come back?"

Joxter paused, breath caught in his throat. He knew that perhaps one day he'd never come back if he continued his winter travels to his elder years, but he was almost positive that he'd always come back! So why was it so hard for him to say what he wanted- needed to! "N-Nuuski, I'll always come back! Have I ever not returned?"

"Erm..." The three year old Mumrik thought for a moment before deciding on an answer, "No, you always come back."  
Snufkin sheepishly fiddled with his fingers.  
"Promise you'll come back?" He looked up at his father with chocolate pleading eyes.

Joxter chuckled softly, "Now, I don't usually make promises but since you asked so politely, yes, Nuuskamuikkunen, I promise to come back."

Snufkin squealed with glee and hugged the taller Mumrik's legs, "Yay!!!"

He bent down and picked his son up and placed him securely in between his arm and his side. "Let's bring you to bed, okay? It's bedtime." Snufkin pouted, "Awh!! Pleaaaase pappa! You have to go so please let me stay up longer!" Joxter shook his head, "No, son. You won't even notice I'm gone! In fact, you'll enjoy having a lot of nap time! 'Cause when I return, I'll bring you on your very first winter travel when the season comes again!"  
The small Mumrik swung his legs and leaped out of Joxter's grasp, causing them both to stumble.

"Really?! Yip yip!!" He cheered, hopping around.

"Woah, calm down there! You don't want a scrape before bed, right?"

Snufkin stopped bouncing around, "Oh, um...No! I don't."

"Right, so let's go now so you're all rested up and the sooner I leave, the sooner I come back!"

The tiny Mumrik ran to his bed, almost tripping and stumbling down to the ground, disregarding his father's need for concern.  
He was out like a light, excited for his father's return and his first winter travel! Joxter gazed at his son with warm eyes and pulled the covers over his son's torso and patted his chestnut hair, "Farewell till spring, Nuuski. Rest well." He gave his son a tender kiss on the forehead and glanced out to the other Mymble children, who were already sound asleep. "Sleep tight, everyone." He whispered and shut the door behind them.

"Did Nuuski keep you?"

"Yeah, he didn't want me to leave yet."

"Thought so," Mymble walked over to Joxter, not rushing at all. "I'm assuming that you plan on leaving right now?"

"Indeed! Though, I'm not leaving without a goodbye kiss!"

Mymble gave a half suppressed laugh, "Of course, dear."

The two pressed their lips together gingerly, taking in the moment. Mymble pulled away first, "You should really go by now! The snow might pile up!" Joxter pouted, "Fiiiine, farewell, dear Mymble." He snagged the last of his supplies and strapped them securely onto him. Mymble smiled at her smaller spouse, "Farewell, dear Joxter."

He stepped out into the snow.

* * *

As the Mumrik travelled south, he was honestly quite excited.

He adored his children, he really did, but man...They sure were tiring. Joxter was sure as stars of hope that he'd be taking a long nap when he finds a place to settle down for the night. He glanced around at the white blanket covering the green blades beneath.  
Perhaps he should have left earlier... Spotting something dark that contrasted against the milky white, Joxter bent down to take a closer look.

Mushrooms!

Quite like the ones he stole... Now, Joxter enjoyed crime.   
He didn't like social norms at all and he often prefered to break the rules!

  
However, he was a gentleman, and that so called hoarding hemulen had done no wrong to him before. He'd have to pick these mushrooms and get it to the hemulen before he forgets or suddenly loses any compassion.  
Joxter really didn't have time for this but truly, he was a... "kind" Mumrik and knew when to admit that he was wrong.

He snatched about the right amount that he had stolen and grabbed an empty bowl from his bag that settled on his back. "This should do!" Joxter carefully placed the mushrooms within the bowl and searched for the Hemulen's house. A clean white house came into view, "Perfect!" He grinned and knocked on the door and put the bowl on the front porch.

The Mumrik determined that maybe he shouldn't wait by the door.  
Hemulens had a distinct dislike for the wild-like species and he didn't want to risk getting in trouble that he couldn't wriggle himself out of.

He hurriedly stepped away and continued on his journey, positive that the hemulen had not seen him. But Joxter wasn't always right.

"That filthy Mumrik is back!!" He growled, spying on the vagabond through a window. "I better take the chance right now!"

He bolted to the door and his eyes caught the bowl of Mushrooms.

For a moment, he felt something other than anger...However it was quickly crushed as he kicked the bowl to the side.

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" He grimaced and marched out.

"I'm putting this Mumrik behind bars."

* * *

"Don't touch that!"

"Don't order me around, mumrik."

An officer Hemulen slammed the Mumrik down onto the dying grass.

However this Mumrik didn't have blue eyes and black hair, this was a Mumrik with brown hair and bright gray eyes. And, a girl.

"My wife gave that to me, shiteater!"

The officer pulled the bracelet off the cuffed Mumrik. "Sure she did, _dyke._ "

"Venus!!!" The Mumrik and the policeman looked up to see another Mumrik.

She was slightly shorter than the other Mumrik being held down and had black hair and chocolate-hued eyes. Her skin tone was much the same, at a striking light brown shade.

Her wife had hair down past her shoulders by a few inches, with (as said before) brown hair with small strands of red. She had olive skin and gray eyes that were almost blue.

"Neptune! Get this man off of me!" Venus shouted and hissed at the Hemulen.

Neptune raced over and started scratching at the Hemulen's face, causing the officer to fall to the ground, releasing the bracelet from the impact.

"Fuck!"

Neptune lead her wife up off the ground and took the bracelet, running off to safety.  
When they were out of sight, they climbed up onto a tree branch, catching their breaths. Venus gazed at her wife, tears blurring her vision. "I'm...So sorry..."

Neptune frowned, heaving. She placed a paw on her spouse's and sighed, "Please, don't blame yourself, love. You know the reputation our species ha-"

"No! It's not the reputation! They just hate us to hate us! I'm apologizing because I shouldn't have wandered off into dangerous territory like that!" She leaned forward onto her wife, "So I'm sorry." Neptune kissed her forehead and grinned, "I know. I'm sorry too."

"Sorry for what?"

"Letting him even get near you."

Venus then grinned, "You didn't know. At least you came right in time to save me."

"Will things ever change, Venus?"

"Neptune, I....I don't know."

* * *

Joxter sat down on a log, his back aching.

He had found a place to settle for the night!

However...There was no way he'd be sleeping with a sore back like this!  
He grumbled and closed his eyes, already tired from the trip.

He missed his wife. His son. His...other 35 children.

He too was quite excited to go on his very own trip with his son!

He looked up at the night sky, noticing gray clouds rolling in.

A moment of calm before the storm, he thought.

If only he knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so very sorry for my absence and thank you for your patience!
> 
> I know this chapter is really short and im sorry :( turns out writing a fic with 31 chapters is harder than i thought-
> 
> Also if anyone is wondering, yes, venus and neptune are a representation of my gf n i and yES we also have matching bracelets! I'm venus and she's neptune-
> 
> also with recent events going on plEAAASEEE consider donating to BLM movements yall!! police brutality is fucking real!! and it's happening!! please lend a helping hand if you can and stay safe everyone! you are loved! <3
> 
> aLSOOOO happy pride month everyone!!!
> 
> bye now! <3


	5. The storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As in, Joxter and Snufkin go on their first winter adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (EDIT 11/15/2020: I fixed some spelling errors and some other things! I noticed that joxter picked up snufkin in the original and i forgot about it apparently and i wrote it again? so I redid that part! ^^ sorry if it caused any confusion my brain wasn't working well (and it still isn't) :])
> 
> *awkwardly places this here*
> 
> hi
> 
> been a while,,,
> 
> i'm so s o s o so sOOO sorry for taking so long!!! My mental health has recently been horrendous and especially since my (ex) gf just broke up with me on the 4th,,, i haven't had the motivation to write at all  
> but here it is,,, a half-assed chapter 5,,,  
> i really hope this is enough to make up for my absence,,,
> 
> stay safe, stay healthy and remember, BLM!!

Four.

Snufkin was four now.  
  
Joxter could barely grasp the fact that his little son who was almost too fragile to hold was now a sturdy, walking, and talking toddler!  
Saying that he was proud would be an understatement.  
And he was also going on his first winter adventure as well? Joxter thought he'd burst!

However, he had his doubts and worries.  
How would he make sure if his son ever got lost, that he would find his way home? He had a few ideas to pick from. A map? A trail? A hat?

A hat. With the words "Moominvalley" written on them. He knew that the Moomins would gladly help his son. And sure, he would outgrow his hat, but there's nothing a quick remake can't fix! And so a smaller, green version of Joxter's own hat was made. Hand Stitched onto the bottom of the brim of the hat was the name "Moominvalley." It was fairly small, and you'd have to look closely to see but it was still legible. When he handed it over to Snufkin, the Mumrik leaped with joy! He was so very happy! He immediately wore it despite it being a little too big for his head, but he still loved it nonetheless.

"Excited for the trip, little one?"

"Yes! I can't wait to see the world in the south!"

"I'm sure you'll truly enjoy it." He bent down and finished placing a bowl into his backpack and closed the flap.

Joxter glanced down at his son and smiled fondly. Snufkin stared right back up at him, though, his comically large hat was getting in the way. He flashed a bright, row of sharp teeth back at his father. His father was shocked, he hadn't noticed how pointy his son's teeth had gotten! "You scare me sometimes, little one," Said Joxter, despite having much larger, and far more dangerous sharp teeth.

"Ready to leave, you two?" Mymble peeped into the room.

"Hello, dear! To answer your question, yes. We are!" He grinned at the Mymble. She looked down at her family. "Stay safe, alright? Jox, make sure that Nuuski is safe! I don't know what I'd do without you two."

"Don't fret, my dearest Mymble, if I am to go missing I shall always return!! As for Nuuski here, I have left him a way back in his hat! He'll know where to go."

"And what if you both can't make it back?"

"if we're a week late and with no letter, you'll know. However, I've always returned! So don't worry yourself, dear. Everything will be alright!"

"Okay, you better get going now." She gave Joxter a quick kiss on the lips and gave Snufkin a forehead kiss. The taller Mumrik put his son's backpack on his shoulders as he did to his own. "Of course! Farewell, my Mymble. I will see you very soon. I love you."

"I love you too."

Snufkin waved goodbye to his mother and followed his father's trail out the door and to the start of the forest.

Joxter felt a warmth in his chest, blossoming and fluttering. It consumed him and ran through his veins. He was glad to spend time with his son. He knew children grew up fast. He knew that one day his son would soon be leaving on winter adventures all on his own.

So he was going to enjoy this adventure as much as he could!

At the start of the forest, Joxter glanced at the tallest tree and nodded as if he were taking note that it was still standing and whispered that it was a useless habit. He still wasn't entirely sure why he did that, but he still did. And most of the time, he did it subconsciously.

As he entered the forest, he took in the sight. He often enjoyed it there, glancing about at the golden sun rays hitting the grass covering the ground. He found comfort within the trees and the forest critters. It _was_ his second home.

Snufkin began to squirm nervously.

"pappa! Do you hear that?" He gently spoke, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Hear what?"

"I hear walking! Much much walking!"

"Nuuski, are you sure you aren't hearing things that aren't there?"

Snufkin frowned, "I'm sure I heard something!"  
  
"Okay, okay, let me try listening."  
  
Joxter stopped walking as his son grasped onto his tail. Leaves, grass, birds chirping. No footsteps. He slowed his breathing and focused intently. _pat, pat, pat._

There they were.

"Oh, I see. You were right!" He felt his fur bristle as he pulled his son closer, "It could be another critter but we should hurry and find a place to stay, quickly."

Snufkin nodded and held onto his father's tail and followed closely behind as Joxter walked much faster than he originally was, desperate now to make it to safety just in case.  
  


* * *

  
  
"That'll do!"  
  
After many miles of walking past moominvalley and a friendly snork village, they had found a great spot. He knew his son couldn't do much walking and he really didn't have the back he used to...So they'd have to stay here and return after every quick adventure. Camping, a better term for it.  
  
"Okay, Nuuski, I'll set up camp, and then I'll make dinner! Don't go past the 10th bush, alright?"  
  
The camp was surrounded by bushes filled with many flowers, tall trees behind them, and inside the guarding plants was a flat terrain of grass. It was almost perfect. Not set up, however, it was like nature intended for it to be that way.  
  
Joxter decided to set up a much larger, homey tent than what he'd usually have. He was going to camp out with a toddler, he might as well take care of him well enough.  
  
He began setting up and turned his attention away from his son, for once.  
  
Meanwhile, Snufkin was caught up on his own journey.  
  
Everything seemed so big and wild and so...free! He waddled over to one of the bushes and looked at the flowers adorned upon them. Lilies, roses, starflowers, orchids, violets. He picked a rose off, quickly thanked the bush as if he had killed it, and put it in his hair. He cheerfully clapped and continued walking around the area.  
  
He then discovered bugs and insects and worms. Ladybugs, pillbugs, caterpillars, earthworms...And his favorite thus far, butterflies.  
  
He loved catching them and he hasn't accidentally killed any recently due to all the practice. Of course, he'd let them go; if they weren't dead, at least.  
  
He'd pop them into his mouth if they didn't get to escape his tiny toddler paws.  
  
Snufkin went on his knees and gently lowered his body to get a closer look at the creatures, "Wow..." He whispered and let a ladybug crawl up onto his finger. He had an urge to eat it but as he was a sweet fellow, he let it fly away and maybe let it live for another last few hours.  
  
He never had ever thought that the world had so many creatures and such wonders! He felt so happy and so very safe. Like nothing could ever hurt him at all! Within his mind, the world was pure and not rotten as one of his eldest sisters would say. Little My was sort of a "nasty" child (according to other adults whose input was never needed), often cussing when she didn't need to and acting out when she didn't get what she wanted. But all of this just proved that the world was just a great, beautiful place where everyone never needed to be nasty or hate one another!  
  
A world like that is one he wished he could live in forever.

* * *

  
  
"Nuuski? May you pick at least two bowls of violet petals? I have bread! We can make jam."  
  
"Yes, papa!"  
  
He immediately began working.  
  
Snufkin enjoyed helping his father with baking or cooking! In fact, it was rather the collecting than the process making. He slipped off the violet petals with his paws and carried them over to the two bowls his father had at camp. "Nuuski, I think it would be easier to collect them faster if you took the bowls with you."  
  
Snufkin slapped his forehead in shame, "Of course, papa!"  
  
He couldn't believe that he hadn't thought of that! He grabbed both bowls in one hand (one was still empty) and brought it over to the bushes with the violets in them. He continued emptying out the violet patches and one bowl was complete. However, the other wasn't fully finished and there were no more violets within the 10 bushes he was only allowed to stay by.  
  
But what his father didn't know won't kill him, right?  
  
He peeked at Joxter and made sure he was distracted then carefully began picking off violets on the 11th bush. When that one was done, he moved onto the next, being extra gentle so he didn't bring attention to himself.  
  
By the time he was done, he was on the 16th bush, far past the 10 he wasn't allowed past. "Phew! I'm glad papa didn't catch m-"

"No, I did."  
  
"WAAHG!!"  
  
Snufkin leaped in surprise and fell onto his back side.  
  
"Thought I wouldn't catch 'ya being sneaky, hm?"  
  
Snufkin shamefully fiddled with his paws, "Mmn...Nooo."  
  
"Hahaha!! Don't worry." He ruffled his son's hair affectionately, "I understand the thrill. I suppose only giving you a 10 bush radius to play and collect violets wasn't too considerate. So you're allowed 16 bushes! No more though. Sure this area is wide and covered, but we still have to be careful."  
  
"Okay, pappa! Oh, I got the flowers!"  
  
Joxter glanced at two full bowls of violets. "Splendid! Good job, little one. I'll take these back to camp and you can continue playing." He picked up the bowls and began to leave and flicked his tail as a way of saying 'bye for now.' Snufkin ran around on all fours, rolling in the grass from time to time.  
  
He definitely was full of energy, and was really excited to get it all out.

Then his eyes caught a butterfly.

He lost all common-sense and went right to chasing after it.  
  
It fluttered about, unaware of the small beast chasing them. Gently, the butterfly landed on one of the bushes and Snufkin breathlessly stared, waiting for its next move.  
  
Then it took flight and the Mumrik chased after it, going further from camp. At this point, he was far past the 16 bushes. He was having such a grand time! Snufkin leaped and gingerly caught the bug within his paws and landed on his side with a loud thump.  
  
Joxter lifted his head from the water he was boiling (he had gotten river water on the way to camp) and his breath caught in his throat. "Nuuskamuikkunen! What are you doing?!" He shouted. He removed the water and set out the fire and chased after his son. He scolded himself mentally for even leaving him unattended! Of course his son wouldn't listen, he's a Mumrik!  
  
Snufkin let go of the butterfly and backed away, turning the chasing into a game. Joxter knew what he was doing, so why was he playing along?  
  
"Nuuski, I'll catch you!"

"No!"  
  
Snufkin giggled and took a sharp turn. Joxter hadn't anticipated for his son to be so quick as he stumbled and rolled into a bush. "Ouch..." He crawled out and shook the leaves off of him. "Ooh you are _so_ in trouble, mister!" He laughed and continued following Snufkin.  
  
Alas, Snufkin wasn't fast enough and Joxter tackled him (carefully) to the ground, grinning in victory, "Ha! I caught you!" Snufkin wiggled out of his grasp and sighed heavily. "I knoooow."  
  
"If this wasn't as fun as it was, you'd be very much grounded. But since it's your first time out so far from home, you're free this time!" Joxter sighed. That same warm feeling of adoration came back. He truly did love his son and he'd give anything for him, "What would I do without you, Nuuski?"  
  
Snufkin opened his mouth to reply before Joxter cut him off, "It was a rhetorical question, little one."  
  
Snufkin giggled again and hugged his father as Joxter did the same and patted his back.  
  
He stood up and began to help his son off the floor.  
  
Suddenly, Joxter quit smiling.  
  
Something was wrong.  
  
The air was getting unbearably heavy, like something was watching him. His senses were kicking in as he drew in the atmosphere and glared at the bushes around him. He scooped his son up into his arms and told him to silence. The tiny Mumrik listened, starting to feel afraid.  
  
Joxter bared his canines to any threat that was waiting to pounce. He swished his tail and held his son tighter, his icy eyes beginning to glow the same it did when his son was threatened by the Hemulen. The bushes around his camp rustled, like snakes were slithering under the growth. He paused, hearing the sound of a gun being cocked and loaded.  
  
And so his legs began to work.  
  
He rushed his son to safety the best he could, but his son had wandered out too far from their main tent.  
  
"Don't move, _Mumrik._ "  
  
Joxter froze, his son clenched desperately onto his shirt.  
  
The older Mumrik looked behind him to see what he dreaded the most.  
  
Officer Hemulens.  
  
"Fuck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ik its short but its the best i can do  
> i'll try to get the next chapter out asap,,, since its 2 am this chapter has not been proof read and may be really stupid and annoying but oh well,,,
> 
> gn or gm and i hope y'all enjoyed!! <3 thanks for reading!!
> 
> bye y'all! 
> 
> (p.s. half of chapter 6 got erased and im literally :((( i hate it here)


	6. A storm's aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As in, all hell breaks lose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!! LOTS OF VIOLENCE !! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK AND READ THE NEW TAGS!!
> 
> chapter seems much longer than usual im kinda shocked!!! dont get used to long chapters tho i was working on this since the chapter before this was posted fkfhkf  
> i hope y'all enjoy this disaster!! 💕💕💕🥺

Joxter’s heart dropped.

He’d been caught. _Caught._

That word fell heavy on his mind. How had he gotten himself into this? Surely, he was careful! His heart drummed against his chest. His body trembled. He had never felt this much terror course through his body before.

"J-Just let us go!" Joxter pleaded.

“We finally got you, Mumrik. You and your son will now be coming with us.” The chief paced over, boots leaving implants onto the soft grass. Joxter’s heart then stopped. He knew what they do to baby Mumriks at the jails. And the thought of his sweet child ever going through that torture had him frozen like ice.

“You know, people would pay a hell of a ton for eyes like those.” The chief creeped up on Joxter and pulled a dagger up to his face. “Blue, _deep_ blue eyes. Those would at least be around 846.86 euros! Oh, how _rich_ we’d be, hm?” He then bent down to face the tiny Mumrik. “And those chocolate eyes. Astounding. Let me guess,” He spun the dagger and chuckled, “It’s a mix?” He sneered.

Joxter growled, “Stay away from my son.”

“Oh dear, sir. Don’t you worry. We’ll make it quick. Here’s a fair trade. Your son’s eyes for your freedom.”

The adult Mumrik would’ve gone mad and tore the man’s throat out if his son weren’t there. How dare he even offer such a thing!?

Instead of going for a killing blow, Joxter only swiped at the Hemulen’s face, and hissed at the other officers.

“ _ **Stay AWAY.**_ ”

The Chief wiped his bleeding nose and smirked, “Violent today, are we?” He pulled a shotgun at him.

“An alive Mumrik is far more valuable than a dead one, but you know, if someone’s being aggressive with the police…”

He cocked the shotgun.

“No one cares whether you _rot_ underneath the ground.”

He shot at a tree behind the two Mumriks and they flinched. Joxter knew that he had to fight back. His son's life was in danger!! His eyes glowed a bright blue as he snarled. Taking a moment to gather all of his strength as he held his son securely in his arms, Joxter leaped at the men and began scratching, biting, clawing. He was going to save his son's life!! He had to! 

He bent down and slashed at two officer's legs, causing them to double over. He took a deep breath and continued fighting, certain that he was going to win and they'd go free!

Abruptly, A Hemulen grabbed the arm holding Snufkin and pried it open, making the small Mumrik fall from his safe haven.

"Nuuski!! Joxter shouted as three other men grabbed his other arm, holding him back.

Snufkin was frozen.

" _RUN NUUSKI RUN!_ " He called, his other arm breaking free to reach out to his son. "Nuuski! _GO!_ "

Snufkin's legs trembled.

"I'll come back! I promise! I love you! Now, **_GO!_** "

Then he bolted. He ran faster than he ever could, leaving dust behind him in his wake.

Joxter panted, his throat raw. At least his son was safe. Safe from those horrid men.

But where would he end up? Where would his son go?

....

Did he even know his way to Moominvalley?

* * *

His lungs ached.

How long had he been running?

Well, for a four year old, he couldn't make it that far.

He wasn't sure where he was, or where he went. All that he knew was that his pappa was taken by bad men. What would he do now?

He wanted to cry. He wanted to run right back to his father and face whatever those bad men did to them together. He wanted to go right back home and hope that his pappa returned safe. He felt a empty hole within his chest. Like a guilt. _"_ This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't gone off too far and caused so much noise....I did this. I caused this!" He spoke alone, shaming himself.

Though, of course it wasn't his fault, he's merely a child. Who just doesn't know any better. 

And truly, he swore to never hunt again.

His bare paws against the hard forest floor made him wince with every step, still soaring through the forest. He wasn't sure if those bad men were following him, and he really didn't want to turn around to find out. Where was he supposed to go? Where could he stay? What had his pappa done so wrong that they had to hurt him like that? To hold a sharp knife to his face like he was some sort of pastry? 

He wanted to call out to his mother and just cry. Cry and cry and cry. He didn't want this. He would've never wanted this. His heart ached as much as his lungs sucking life in and out of them were. His legs were beginning to feel awful. They tightened uncomfortably and felt like he could hardly move them, but he couldn't stop running. He just couldn't. 

He was so afraid.

Snufkin heaved desperately, hoping that he could somehow find his way home. He didn't know where the Moomins resided and he sure as hell didn't know where his family was either. 

He felt so hopeless.

Alone.

And most of all, horrified. 

He needed to find a way to get home. Any way, no matter how long it took. He already missed his warm comfy bed and when running was fun. But this running wasn't anywhere _close_ to fun. It was awful and scary and he felt the need to never run ever again. Like everything he used to enjoy, the fun was ripped right out of it. He thought he knew the world.

In fact, he believed that he knew it all, that his world is perfect.

Nothing but love and joy.

He was wrong. So very wrong. 

He continued running, his tiny chest rapidly trying to keep up with so much exercise and running.

Every part of him was screaming and protesting in agony, muscles sore and lit aflame. Then he fell and hit his head.

And everything went black.

* * *

"Damn you!! You won't get away with this you monsters!!" Joxter clawed at the thick bars keeping him inside the prison carriage. 

The chief arrogantly walked to the cage the Mumrik was kept in, he bent down to reach his face and laughed, "I already did, _beast._ " He dragged his hand along the bars, "We've been capturing or stealing valuable Mumrik eyes for _ages._ What makes you think you could be a lucky Mumrik that didn't get caught, hm? You're lucky that your son ran when he did, cause a mix that ends up having non-pure eyes is worth it's salt. Worth a hell of a ton in the market."

"You're sick."

"And you're a grotesque species." The chief narrowed his gaze, "So you'll rot in prison like the rest."

Joxter's tense shoulders sunk as he laid his head on the cold rusty metal, feeling hopeless. He was down on his knees, given the fact that the cart was far too small for him to stand up fully. He was caged in. A fate worse than death. His mind raced. Where was his son? Was he okay? Did he make it home? Did he find safety? Did he find anybody to help? Was he in danger? Did he....

No.

Joxter shook his head. He refused to let _any_ thought of his precious child being lifeless be let into his mind.

The cart began to move. He watched the world pass by as they began a journey that he thought for sure he was going to regret.

* * *

One of the things they had taken from him during the arrest was his hat.

He felt uncomfortable without it, bare. They, of course, knew that. That's why they took it in the first place. He wasn't sure where he was, but he was certain he was far from Finland. Instead of the south he originally planned on going to with Snufkin, they were going back up north. He'd seen so many things, travelling in a way. But it didn't matter to him, especially when he was caged in and without his son. Joxter _had_ attempted an escape, but....

They caught him half way and almost ripped open the prison bars and beat the hell out of him. Which was fairly enough to make him unconscious for a bit.

When he had awoken, he hoped that it had all been a dream.

That he was still at camp, snuggled up with his child and himself protecting him from anything that hurt him.

He brought his hands up to his face and groaned, ' _why hadn't I listened to Mymble'...._ , He thought.

"Mymble!!" He shouted, remembering that his wife wouldn't know where he or the child had gone!

"QUIET!"

Joxter grimaced at the Chief leading the cart on-top of a creature that was much like a horse. How could he be so careless?! Mymble was going to _kill_ him when he found a way back home!!

 _if_ he found a way back home.

He'd have to plan and think about many things before he even dared to try another escape. His head was still pounding after that last beating he had received. He began to play with his tail and fiddled with some loose stone in the floor until he noticed something. People....Were staring. In their homes, out in the market, they were staring. Maybe with pity, because they knew too where all the Mumriks end up.

He listened to them whisper. Some muttered how sad it was that the Hemulens were carrying away such a broken looking man (Joxter was not pleased at the observation) while others agreed with the Hemulens. Saying that maybe he committed some awful crime and was meant to be with the rest of the other Mumriks locked away.

Joxter growled and shouted, "Bootlicker!"

The _bootlicker_ looked at Joxter and grumbled as the cart quickened its pace and Joxter locked within was carried away into horizon.

* * *

"Wake up, Mumrik."

Joxter's heart did a jump as he jolted awake. 

"Oh, it's _you._ "

The chief held a nefarious smile on his face. "The one and only."

Joxter pulled himself up as far as he could, but was only allowed limited space so he rested on his knees. "I don't know why you're doing this you assh-"

"Zip it, Mumrik. I'll sell your tongue too if I want to. Now listen up. I'm putting you in a cart with those freaks," He pointed east, "And then we're heading to Norway after we're done with Sweden. After that, we'll head to Oslo, the capital of Norway. Then, we will be in Denmark. That's all you will know."

"Why're you telling me this?"

The chief chuckled maliciously, "So you can know how far you are from the ones you love because _you'll never see them again._ "

Joxter's eyes burned. Maybe with tears, or maybe with fury. Or maybe it was both. He choked back a sob and he croaked out, "I'll fight for the rest of my life if I must."

"Have fun with it then, filth."

The chief opened the carriage cell, "Don't bother escaping."

Joxter nodded and stepped out and wasn't given a chance to stretch his aching back. Immediately the Chief restrained his paws behind his back and held him by the cuffs while the Hemulen began to walk him over to one of the larger carts. Inside were multiple Mumriks, at least over 40 of them, all smushed together and given no space at all. Joxter bit back a small 'what the fuck.' as the Hemulen lead him up to the front of the cart. "Alright you Mumriks, I'm going to open the carriage cell. If you attempt to escape, you will be shot with no hesitance. None of you matter here or anywhere so get used to it."

Other officer Hemluens had their guns ready and loaded, waiting to strike. As soon as the chief opened the door, a Mumrik ran out, desperate for freedom.

Even if it was through escaping, or through dying.

The chief took immediate action and fired multiple times, striking the runaway Mumrik right in the chest. He sputtered and coughed up scarlet red and toppled to the ground, limp.

Joxter would've covered his mouth in horror if he could. He had seen death before many times but not like _this._ This was nothing like hunting. This was a nightmare.

His ears rang, not only from the gunshots but also from the exclamations of all the other Mumriks surrounding them. Is this what hell sounded like? He wanted to throw up.

"Alright, freaks, let's go." He shoved Joxter into the carriage as he slammed into the others from the sheer force. He quickly apologized and contained his composure the best he could, watching the cell close and be locked by the Chief. "May this be a lesson for you all." He muttered before walking back to his now empty cart and hopped back onto his mock-horse.

Joxter took in his surroundings, keeping note of everything he probably should know. Then he noticed that there were _children_ in carts as well. Smaller carts, of course. And it finally dawned upon him that he was originally placed in a child's cart. He growled and his shoulders slumped once more. He missed his son. He missed his wife. He missed warmth.

....Well, there was plenty of it in the prison carriage, of course. But he missed the heat of a lit fire, or the heat of being snuggled up with his son, his wife, and his 30 and more other children.

He'd give anything to have that back.

"Hey,"

Joxter grunted in response to the voice.

"Hey, kid." 

He looked up and around him. All the other Mumriks were sleeping, crying, stressing, or talking to one another. He then felt a shoulder bump into his own. He spun around slightly, "Hm?" He replied.

In front of him was an elder Mumrik, with silver hair and the slight whisks of fur on her nose only showed that her fur and hair was once a brilliant shade of black. "You're Joxaren, right?" She asked. Joxter swallowed thickly and glanced to the side, confused. 

"Er- Yes! Well....I prefer the name 'Joxter.' Joxaren doesn't really-"

"Sit well with you? Yes, that's quite fine. I am Sininen. We've heard a lot about you."

Joxter clenched his jaw, certain that something was up. Why was she speaking to him? "We've?"

"Yes! The rest of the Mumriks and I! We heard about your constant escapades regarding the officers! We rooted for you to not get caught but...." She trailed off awkwardly. Joxter jumped in before she could say anything, scowling, "I got caught. I _know._ "

Sininen tilted her head and let out a cheerful laugh, leaving Joxter even more confused than he was before. "Why're you laughing?" He queried, "Are you laughing at me?" His tone went a little colder.

Sininen finished her laughing fit and coughed, "N-no," She coughed harder, thanks to all that laughing, "No I am not, don't worry, little crow."

' _little crow..?_ ' Joxter flinched and had a anticipating expression on his face. What was this mad woman even saying?

"There's no need to be sour, kid. We're all trapped here so we might as well settle in!" Sininen spoke before he could, "Though! Of course I understand. I was taken out of my own home and I hadn't done much of anything in ages. I'm not even quite sure why I'm here. I believe I'm the oldest, given the fact that I am 102."

Joxter's eyes widened. 102!? He had _never_ seen a Mumrik survive that long! They usually die somewhere far off from an injury or they die at a settled home from sickness of not being able to travel. He was astounded! 

But there were other things he had to bring up first.

"I'm sorry they took you from your home, ma'am."

Sininen shrugged, "Eh, this has happened before. I _did_ escape once but I was much younger."

Joxter nodded sympathetically. "Of course, Ms. Sininen."

The elder paused. Her eyes became cold and calculating in almost a split second, scanning his entire form. Then she returned back to her warm expression and loving grin. "You look like a man I used to know. Are you related to a man by the name hämäryys?"

Joxter held in a gasp, his entire body going cold. Flashes of memories raced into his mind as he desperately shook them away. "Erm...N-no-YES! Yes I am." He stuttered, fumbling with his words. He hated remembering him. He hated him.

"Ah, I thought so. Who is he in relation to you, kid?"

He grit his teeth, "Well..He's my father." He forced out. Joxter didn't want to remember, he didn't even think this would be the place where he'd have to think of him again. 

"Mhm, yup. Thought so, you have his eyes." She chuckled, blissfully unaware. "He was such a rascal!"

Joxter's heart frantically beat against his chest, suffocating him. His lungs refused to let in any air as his mind raced and spun and he....

Well, there wasn't much he could do. No space, small amount of air, too many tired, aching, sweaty bodies all pressed against each other.....The cart wouldn't be a good place to pass out. So he did his best and pushed down everything. He breathed and responded with a shaky voice, "Y-yes. He wasn't too kind to me." Joxter mentally screamed in his head for even saying such a thing. "You know what? Nevermind. Yes, my father was a grand man and we can leave that as such."

Sininen caught on and nodded, "Of course, Joxter. You didn't deserve such a thing. If he ever get out of here, I'll invite you over for tea near the lonely mountains. How's that sound?"

Joxter's heart slowly began to relax and he smiled at the offer, "That sounds lovely, ma'am."

She nodded again, "Hm, and about your son?"

"My son?" His heart did a small jump once again.

"Where is he? We all heard you had gotten a new kit a few years back. Ah, what was it? Five years?"

"Four. It's been four years since Nuuski was born."

"Nuuski? How adorable! Is that his full name?"

"No-" He laughed gently, "His full name is a handful, much like him. It's Nuuskamuikkunen." 

Sininen choked on a laugh, "Voi vittu! How peculiar! Does he even know how to say his own name?"

"No, he can't. And his writing skills aren't as sharp either." 

Sininen hummed in agreement, "Yes, I didn't learn how to write until I was twenty!" She let out another wheezy laugh. Joxter laughed with her, "I can't write that well at all!" 

Joxter then sighed, "Well, Nuuski is....Somewhere I don't know. I made him run so he wasn't harmed. I just hope he knows where Moominvalley is."

The elder's eyebrows raised, intrigued by the mention of the calm peaceful valley that is...Well, Moominvalley. "You reside there?" She asked. Joxter bit his lip for a moment and then nodded in response, "Yes, my dear old friend, Moominpappa, lives there. He his quite the adventurer. But, he went off and had a family with Moominmaiden, or rather- Moominmamma. A little boy, they had, and they named him Moomintroll!" He explained, "Moominpappa and I didn't want to lose touch so I moved with my wife, Mymble, within Moominvalley. So, yes, you could say I live in Moominvalley."

Sinanen snorted in joy, laughing once more, "What a delight indeed!! You're quite the riot, Joxter."

Joxter's cheeks flushed at the compliment. It had been a while since he had someone treat him maternally. He couldn't really remember his own mother anyways. "Thank you, ma'am."

"You are absolutely welcome." She grinned. "Oh! How much do you know about Norway?"

Joxter thought for a moment. He wasn't sure. Most of his travels ended with him going south of Finland, but they had gone back north, passing Moominvalley by a short thread. Now, he was certain that he was far past Moominvalley. In fact, he was starting to think that they were close to the border of sweden.

He hadn't even noticed that they were moving, and they had been doing so for a bit. He watched the scenery pass by him and his heart cracked little by little, realizing that he was so far from his son. Sininen must've caught on, like it was her nature. "Hey, nevermind talking about Norway, tell me about your son, hm? And maybe I can give some advice to deal with a kid Mumrik while you're at it so you can use it when you get out of here!"

The pit of darkness within his chest lifted the slightest bit as his smile returned to his face. "Of course, it might take a while."

"We have all the time in the world."

And maybe he found it comforting to hear the word "when" coming from someone else rather than the "if" always bouncing in his mind.

* * *

When he had awoken again, it was dawn.

He did his best to rub the sleep from his eyes using his shoulder, as his paws were not an option. Through his blurry vision, he realized that they were past Finland. They definitely had to be in Sweden by now. Having to have slept standing up, he stretched the best he could and yawned. The tight sore muscles burned and he winced, gritting his teeth. 

Joxter then remembered Sininen, and glanced behind them. She was still sleeping sitting down, or at least he hoped she was sleeping.

Looking away, he was glad that his smock was able to withstand some cold because by now he would've frozen to death. Glancing up at the sky, he took notice of the colors. Gentle pink and blue. A welcome to another day.

Ahead of the carriage was a few more, smaller sized, carts. This time, they were empty. Joxter did his best to take a good look at them, but there were too many Mumriks blocking his view. He gave up searching for now and sighed, waiting to see what would come next.

The cart gently came to a stop, dust surrounding the wheels. Joxter's tail flicked in anticipation.

The chief jumped from his mock-horse and marched over. Joxter took this moment to take a good look at the Hemulen. He wore a dark royal blue uniform, with gold on the sleeves and collar. The hat sitting on his gray face shared the same color scheme. Taking a closer look, Joxter noticed small stains, turning the blue into a shade of purple. He hoped it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Okay, Mumriks. We're splitting you up in fours, so don't move or else you'll meet the same fate as every other Mumrik that ran." He took the shotgun from the strap on his back and loaded it, keeping it slung over his shoulder. Using his free hand, the Chief unlocked the door. Joxter stepped out first, wincing at the tingles in his legs. 

"Okay, one, two, three, four- STOP! That's all for the first group." The Chief announced and Joxter glanced at his cart 'buddies.'

Next to him were one adult, maybe in his 30s, with gold hair and bright yellow eyes. The second one had white hair and green eyes, natural and young, maybe around their 20s. And the last one had dark raven hair, one that went all the way down her back and ended at her thighs. She had icy blue.

An officer walked up to them and gave them a _slight_ smile. "C'mon, I'll lead ya' to ya' cart." He motioned to Joxter to walk first and he took lead, looking behind him. The other three Mumriks followed shortly behind, a shotgun placed ready to shoot if any of them tried to escape.

At this point, Joxter felt disconnected. The parts of him that he knew were his were beginning to feel like they weren't his own at all. Like the fire within his chest had been put out the morning he woke up. What was he supposed to do against it, anyways? His little light of hope was somewhere, maybe lost or hurt, and he wasn't even sure if he was alive. ' _maybe I shouldn't have told him to run..._ ' He pondered before shaking his head to rid the thought, ' _No! They were going to hurt him terribly at the prison. It's best if he isn't here to witness anything, no matter where he is._ '

Feeling like he was floating on air, his legs moving on his own, the four Mumriks moved into the cart and moved into smaller individual corners, waiting for the officer to hop onto his mock-horse and drag them away. Though Joxter had just awoken, he felt tired. Exhausted beyond anything he had ever felt. He closed his eyes and listened to the environment around him, taking in the awful sounds of the chief separating them into groups of four like they were groceries. His stomach twisted in fury.

Maybe he had a little fire left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hate the spacing on this website ghbn,,, so no more lengthy paragraphs bc apparently that makes my fic look small so no <3
> 
> well here it is!!! everything is prooollllyyyy gonna be hell from here on out,,, more Mumrik ocs will be present and i really dont know what to do with this fic bc it feels??? so boring??? and im worried its lost its magic when i first thought about it :") there are other fics with similar ideas as this fic and it jus,,, i feel like i cant live up to y'all expectations sometimes jdnfnf idk its maybe just me, i've had a rough rOUGH august-September :")
> 
> ok well, in this chapter things are beginning to be set up and soon things will progress!!! :D stay tuned and pls....,,,f,...e,,,,...ed..ku..do...  
> dkkfkjDKF it keeps me motivated lmaoo
> 
> ok bye yall!


	7. A Sunshower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As in, Joxter meets some new pals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from now on this fic will be OC heavy!! Most and if not all OCs are Mumriks and are there for most of the story but they're important to Joxter's story and will rarely have separate moments alone so things don't get boring if you aren't interested in reading about OCs :] thanks for being so patient btw yall it means so much to me!! ik i probably shouldn't update every month or so but its the best I can do thus far-
> 
> i cant make any promises but I will try to update maybe every 2 weeks? :O I'll see how it goes! :]

He didn't know which was worse: Being thousands of miles away from his son, or the fact he had finally arrived at the prison. It had been multiple days since he was arrested, low on food, and low on water. He was beyond exhausted but at this time, he was so happy that he's a Mumrik. Mumriks were a species designed to survive long periods of time without resources, mostly due to the long harsh winter travels. 

Joxter had already been marched out of the cart, forced to stand on two sore, tingling legs. His knees could barely keep up with him.

Ahead was a tall, gray building, surrounded by a large amount of barbed wire as a fence. Littered around the area and perimeter were multiple guards wielding large guns, loaded and ready to fire. The prison itself was in drastic need of being remade, with stone crumbling and moss growing in cracks. Joxter winced at the tight grip an officer had on his cuffed wrists as he was lead through the gate of the prison, entering the hellhole itself.

He noticed a large clothing pile and he swallowed nervously, watching an officer throw his own hat onto the pile as if it were trash being tossed out. The Mumrik tensed uncomfortably as two hemulens patted him down, making sure he wasn't smuggling anything. Once they deemed him as clean, he was brutally pushed ahead with a strong grip on his cuffs. Joxter looked around with a strong aversion, discerning all of the Mumriks around him. His tail hung low along with his head, all energy drained from him.

"Okay, Mumrik, settle in." 

The officer removed Joxter's handcuffs and tossed him within the open jail cell, which already had at least four Mumriks. The officer shut the door and locked it, walking away.

His shoulders ached from the amount of time he had been forced to have his arms restrained behind his back, and though he basically landed on his face, he was extremely relieved to have the cuffs off. Then it settled.

He lost his son.

He'd be stuck here.

"Damnit!!" He shouted as he lifted himself to his knees, feeling tears prick at his eyes.

' _I can't lose him!!_ '

"First time?"

Joxter turned his body to look at the source of the foreign voice. ' _First time? Does he think this is a game?'_

"Wallowing in self-pity won't get you anywhere," The Mumrik stated, lifting his paw in an expression, "Unless your main goal is to die from starvation...Then sure, go ahead."

The Mumrik in front of him was a young-looking male, with chestnut brown hair, fur, and a chestnut tail with pale brown skin. His eyes were a golden yellow and his left hair had a small nick, and along with that, he sported freckles amongst his cheeks and wore a bright teal turtleneck jumper and tawny shaded long pants.

"I'm Kanashe," He placed a paw on his hip and let the other one hover over his chest, "Been here...Many times. How old are you? I'm 19. Young, right?"

Joxter frowned at Kanashe's cocky expression, it was like he was proud to be here.

"Isn't it strange to ask someone weird questions?"

"Oh, so you aren't mute! Congrats on talking, sir."

Joxter growled lowly, ' _likewise...'_

"I'm in my late 20s."

"Old."

"Comment not needed."

Kanashe gave Joxter a cunning smile, "Don't worry, Snorklilly is the eldest here."

Joxter was taken aback by this. A snork? When did they ever bring snorks here? "Do Hemulens hate Snorks too?" Joxter questioned, gazing at Kanashe with confusion. Kanashe shook his head with a grin. "Ha! No! Snorklilly is a mix! A Snork _and_ a Mumrik." He moved ahead of Joxter and then signaled his paw to Snorklilly, "That's her!"

Slumped against a wall and sitting down was a Snork-Mumrik mix. Her peanut colored skin had splotches of white snork fur, and along with that, her long Mumrik ears had the gentle curve of a Snork. Her eyes were a soft shade of emerald and her shirt was a pretty shade of gold, the tuft of her tail shown with the same color.

Her hair was the white of the splotches on her body and held up in a ponytail, along with a chunk of hair hanging off the frame of her face.

She looked nothing like he expected, and she was glaring at him.

Joxter noticed Kanashe was still talking, mentioning something about how she'd been here for a long time, but his voice faded to the back of his mind when he felt a connection.

' _A mix...Just like-'_

"Old man?!" Kanashe scolded, making Joxter jump.

"Are you listening? What's your name, by the way?"

Joxter had just about enough with this kid.

"Listen, kid. I don't have to tell you _ANYTHING._ "

Kanashe's eyes widened as he shrunk back in shock. Joxter placed a paw on his hip and pointed, trying to appear intimidating, "I will though in exchange for information. My name for the name of where we are, got it?"

Kanashe scowled, "Sir, your name isn't that Imp-"

" _FINDING MY FOUR-YEAR-OLD SON IS IMPORTANT TO ME, KANASHE._ "

Everyone stared, an awkward silence filled the room. Joxter stood proud, despite that. He'd do anything to get back to his son. Kanashe clenched his jaw, thinking of what to say next. He nodded, feeling embarrassed, "Okay, fine. Forgive me for ignorance. We're somewhere in southern Europe, but only guards know the name."

"Thank you."

Kanashe glanced up at him in surprise and sheepishly smiled, "It's- You're wel-"

"Joxter."

"What?" Kanashe tilted his head.

"My name is Joxter." He offered him a warm smile.

Kanashe caught on and smirked, letting out a snicker, "Oh, you're gonna do great here."

Joxter nodded, "Well, kid, how about you introduce me to your other friends while you're at it?"

"Right!" Kanashe pointed at a Mumrik with bright red fur and hair. "This is Vinenix! He's the toughest out of all of us." Joxter glanced at the Mumrik glaring over at him, his violet eyes shining with a familiar suspicion. Joxter noticed he had a wooden arm.

He decided to not bring it up.

Along with that, he wore a white tank top and black pants and overall, he was a tall Mumrik.

Kanashe pointed at Snorklilly, "You already know her,"

"That I do."

"That's Taavetti!!" Kanashe pointed at another male Mumrik with russet hair, a blue shirt with black lining the collar and sleeves, and a green bow on his tail with a golden charm with the letter "T" engraved on it. He then noticed his entirely torn off left ear.

"Oh, he's married?"

"Yes! I think to either a Moomin or a Snork 'cause the only species that use bows on tails to show marriage are those two."

Joxter hummed in response and noticed Taavetti fidgeting nervously, like a small lost child.

"So, that's everyone! Better get settled in, there isn't much to do here besides rot. Welcome to hell!" Kanashe laughed awkwardly and took a seat next to Snorklilly. Joxter took this as a moment to talk to Taavetti and shuffled over, "Er- Hey."

Taavetti sat on the ground, tail swishing in anticipation. "U-uh, hey?"

"Sorry if my yelling scared you, I'm usually more patient." Joxter chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"It's fine." Taavetti smiled softly, turning a soft shade of red in his cheeks.

"How long have you been here?"

"Just got here two weeks ago! That guy," He pointed to Vinenix, "Basically took me under his wing. He's very strong and handsome."

Joxter bit back a warm laugh. ' _Ah, young love._ '

"I see. Could you explain to me how things work here?" Joxter sat down besides Taavetti, waiting for his response.

"Yes! Okay, errm...First, we wake up early. Then we're brought to do hygiene and stuff and I'm not quite sure why? It's probably because they don't want smelly Mumriks stinkin' up this place. After that, we don't get food until lunch. Basically, its brunch. Then after that, we're sent back to our jailcells to do nothing but be beyond bored."

"Well, that's awful, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

Joxter sighed and gazed out the jailcell bars, reflecting on how it came to this. He thought of being free again and he thought of his lovely Mymble. He thought of his dear friend Moominpappa and his wife and their son. He thought the Mymble children and he thought of his son. 

Where was his son?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey i know this is very short for a usual chapter and esp since i gave myself so much time SKSJDSDK i missed yesterday cuz of school Jjskj and its 7 am rn,, i got class in a few minutes so I'm sorry if the note seems rushed (cuz it is) and tbh this chapter was just to introduce the jail crew DSKDDKK next chapter will be longer! :D  
> thanks for reading!!! <33
> 
> (psst, Taavetti is polyamorous,,, he loves his partner and has a crush on Vinenix)


	8. Lost Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As in, Snufkin meets his new family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, everyone!!! So sorry for the delay in the last chapter! It wasn't cool of me and i should've found a way to upload it faster haha TwT 
> 
> Also what?? me???? repeating a scene from chapter 6??? um, yeah DSJKHDKSHSH i also edited a bit of it cuz some things seemed off to me :]
> 
> Edit: guys....I love my S/O so much FUCK they're so cute and lovely I'm going to cry rn sorry for melting rn this is so random but holy shit I'm in love guys I'm deteriorating I'm gone like I'm so happy they're in my life like what would i do without them???? FUCKKDJHDJDM 
> 
> Edit, again: so uh...yeah i reread the chapter and it feels stupid and I'm losing hope in this fic but i will finish it :") I just feel embarrassed by it?? Idk-  
> I feel that it isn't living up to what I want it to be or like,,, It doesn't feel interesting??? :/ this whole fic just feels so EH-
> 
> its 1 am so uh,,, later in the day imma go back and fix anything that's like??? missing???? or ill make it look better in the morning so PLEASEEE disregard any discontinuity or repetition or errors/mistakes! They'll be fixed asap!! ^^ I just want to get this chapter out TwT
> 
> anyways, carry on! :3

He felt so hopeless.

Alone.

And most of all, horrified. 

He needed to find a way to get home. In any way, no matter how long it took. He already missed his warm comfortable bed and when running was fun. But this running wasn't anywhere _close_ to fun. It was awful and scary and he felt the need to never run ever again. Like everything he used to enjoy, the fun was ripped right out of it. He thought he knew the world.

In fact, he believed that he knew it all, that his world was perfect.

Nothing but love and joy.

He was wrong. So very wrong. 

He continued running, his tiny chest rapidly trying to keep up with so much exercise and running.

Every part of him was screaming and protesting in agony, muscles sore, and lit aflame. Then he fell and hit his head.

And everything went black.

* * *

"Dear! Did you hear that thump?"

"Don't be silly, hon. I'm sure it was nothing."

"No, love! I heard something and I'm sure of it."

"I'll go check, then."

"Bring your gun just in case!"

Gentle, careful footsteps rang around Snufkin.

He was out like a light, dizzy, and unconscious. His head was bleeding profusely and he had landed on his face, and all he could do is lay limply on the hard forest ground. The footsteps got closer and the entire forest felt empty.

A gun was cocked and loaded.

"Wait, honey! That's a child!!!"

"A what? Who? That thing?" 

"Yes! Look closer!!"

"Well, God damn! I almost shot a kid! Let's get him somewhere safe."

"Is he alive? Let me check," The voice stepped forward and lifted his chin from the ground, gazing at the wound. "It's small, but most head wounds tend to bleed a lot."

"Let's go home and patch him up, then we can look for his parents."

Snufkin gently opened his eyes, his vision was beyond blurry and he could hardly make out the shapes of the people handling his body. He was scooped up into warm fluffy gentle arms as he settled against a chest, closing his eyes again. He didn't care where he went, all he wanted was to go home.

* * *

"Hey, wake up."

Snufkin felt a paw on his shoulder, shaking him gingerly. His eyes snapped open as he let out a gasp at the new surroundings around him. ' _This isn't home...._ '

He looked up in concern, watching the two Snorks in front of him. One was a female, which sported gentle baby blue hair tied up in a ponytail with ruffled bangs framing her face. Her fur was a soft shade of yellow, which meant she was happy. She wore a rose-colored apron that reached to her chest, and her eyes were a soft blue as well. Next to her was a Snork of the same height. His fur was tinged with blue, which meant he was upset, with red short tufts of hair. 

He found the contrast of his colors silly.

"What's your name, young one?" The motherly-one asked.

Snufkin opened his mouth to reply but shut it quickly.

He...Didn't remember. He didn't remember his name. _He didn't remember his name._

"I-I...I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Well..."

Snufkin thought harder. "I know there is an 'N' to it and a 'kin' near the end." Snufkin couldn't remember the rest.

"Hmm...Well, what about your parents?"

"My parents?"

He didn't remember either. He could only recall a feeling of dread before waking up where he was. "N-no...I don't know."

"Well, that's a predicament! My theory was correct, you did fall and hit your head. How old are you?"

"Uhhh...."

He knew he had parents. And he knew he had a name. So he must know his age, at least!

"W-well...I think I'm four," Snufkin sheepishly sputtered. The two Snorks exchanged glances, sharing silent words.

"I'm Snorkmamma." Snorkmamma pointed to herself, "And that's Snorkpappa." She motioned to the other Snork who bowed his head. Snufkin fiddled with his paws stiffly, feeling odd. He felt so out of place, like a crooked frame next to a point-perfect gallery. He could never have imagined that losing his memory would prove to be so difficult! His train of thought paused, realizing that Snorkmamma used "mamma" and "pappa" to refer to themselves, realizing that they most likely had a child. But where were they?

"Do you have more kids like me?" Snufkin gently asked.

Snorkmamma's eyebrow twitched in a silent emotion, something that Snufkin couldn't recognize. "We did," She muttered, "But she's been gone since long ago." 

Snorkpappa played with his bowtie before sighing, "Let's discuss about what to do with this Mumrik kid." He hooked his arm with his wife's own and turned to Snufkin, "Stay here."

He nodded, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. The two Snorks exited the kitchen where Snufkin was in, leaving the Mumrik alone as he glanced around him. Snufkin took this moment to observe his surroundings, noticing things he hadn't before. The dining room was cozy and lit up with a low dim light from multiple laid out candles. The yellow wax melted onto metal candle-holders, and he was intrigued, but this could wait. 

Snufkin turned his body, _trying_ to look into other rooms, but the amount of light was making it far too difficult to see anything other than large furniture and light reflecting off of picture frames. His eyelids began to feel heavy and without giving it a second thought, he rested his head on his arm which laid on the kitchen table before him and he dozed off.

* * *

"Darling, I-I know you miss _her_ but you cannot take in a child you do not even know!"

"I am not doing this for her! Also, keep your voice _down,_ there is a child in our dining room!"

"And there isn't a problem with that? You and I both know that we cannot go around the forest taking in random kids. I mean, what if that Mumrik has Mumrik _parents!_ Who knows what they could do to us if they find out that we basically kidnapped their son!"

"We _didn't_ kidnap him. He's not here against his will. And besides, I doubt that he even _HAS_ parents, given the fact that he's in our kitchen right now. If they cared enough, why was he laying unconscious in the wild where anything could get and eat him!"

Snorkpappa sighed, "Well, you have a point there, dear. What do we do, then? Just...Take him in?"

She fumbled with the hem of her apron, "Yes! He needs a home. I don't think he has anywhere else to go."

He grumbled and shook his head, "I hope you know what you're doing, love."

"I do, and soon, you'll warm up to him and see that I was right."

Snorkpappa didn't bother looking back at his wife, his heart stinging with an empty feeling, "I'll get his room ready." He stated plainly and rushed past her and up a flight of stairs. Snorkmamma frowned. She knew why he was behaving like this, and she felt the guilt sink to her stomach. She shook the feeling away, focusing on the task at hand. Besides, there wasn't much she could do. 

She reentered the kitchen and smiled fondly at the snoozing Mumrik, feeling warmth bubble to her chest.

Placing a gentle paw on his hair, she carefully tried to wake him, "Hey...Little one," She grinned at a small mumble he made, "Come, now! You need a bath, child."

Snufkin stirred awake and rubbed his eyes lazily, hopping off the seat and allowing Snorkmamma to lead him to the bathroom. Snufkin hated water.

* * *

The sky was black.

He didn't know when he fell or when he arrived here, but he ached somehow. Physically, his head was pounding still at the fall and the stress of being in a new environment set him off as well, but mostly mentally and emotionally was where he ached the most. He missed someone he couldn't remember and he was missing his own _name._ Who even was he?

Snufkin flinched at a soft knock at ~~his~~ bedroom door, waiting for it to creek open.

When it did, Snorkmamma stepped inside and spoke in a hushed tone, "Hi, little one. We need to talk."

Snufkin only nodded, scooting to a further side of his bed, making room for Snorkmamma. She nodded gratefully and sat down beside him, "I was thinking...Let's discuss your name, shall we? I mean, I suppose I cannot call you little one or child all the time, hm?"

Snufkin flicked his tail and laughed quietly, "I g-guess not! Hm.."

He played with his paws, trying to remember the small bits and pieces of his name.

What was it? Nuu...Snu...Mumrik? No, that's not right.

"It has 'ukin' in it, I think."

"Well, since you're a part of this family I don't suppose that we cant add a small snork touch to your name! Hows... _Snufkin?_ An "Sn" for Snork, 'Uf' for the U, and Kin for the...Well, it's self-explanatory, ahaha!"

"A part of this family?"

Snorkmamma drew in a breath, choking slightly on her words, "W-well, I-I mean, If you want to be a part of it, that is."

Snufkin blinked at her slowly, nodding at her answer and trying to grasp onto the situation. "So...I'm Snufkin?"

"I suppose so! Do you...Like it?"

The tiny Mumrik thought it over.

_Snufkin. Snufkin. Snufkin._

Oh. He quite liked that name.

"I love it!" Snufkin smiled brightly at the Snork, wrapping his arms around the creature who shone a soft shade of yellow. She smiled warmly at him and ruffled his hair while trying to avoid the bandage that covered his head wound, which lacked his green hat. She was _trying_ to clean it as she discovered the accessory laying next to where Snufkin was found. It was...dirty, to say the least. 

"I'm glad you do, Snufkin. Now, it's time for bed, hm?" Snorkmamma stood from the bed and watched fondly as Snufkin laid down and settled into a bundle of warm blankets without a single protest. He was tired. _Extremely_ tired.

"Goodnight, Snorkmamma."

She nuzzled his face with her snout, "Goodnight, Snufkin." 

He was out like a light. Snorkmamma was beyond tired as well, and she desperately wished to be in her bed as she blew out all the candles in Snufkin's room except for one, and left without making a sound.

She trudged her way downstairs, feeling heavy and ready to just collapse on the wooden floors. When was the last time she even had a good night's rest? It's been years. Snorkmamma tugged open her bedroom door and removed her pink apron and let down her blue hair, feeling worn out. Snorkpappa was in the bed beside her, reading a novel of some sort before he noticed his wife.

"Hullo, dear! Do you need the candle on tonight?"

Snorkmamma smiled appreciatingly at her husband and shook her head, "No, love. I think I'm going to sleep early tonight."

Snorkpappa's eyes widened at the announcement, "Oh that's wonderful news! In that case, I'll go to sleep too." He placed his book on the nightstand next to him and settled into the sheets and blankets, waiting for Snorkmamma to do the same. She rubbed her eyes groggily and grinned, "Alright, dear."

Snorkmamma laid down next to him and intertwined her tail with his, and let sleep take a hold of her.

* * *

"Good morning, Snufkin!" 

"AH- Oh. So it wasn't a dream?"

Snorkmamma snickered, "Oh, no! It wasn't. Come now, Snorkpappa made breakfast. After breakfast, you must go wash up. We'll be going out today to pick berries so we can have warm pie later for dessert!"

Snufkin yawned and dragged himself out of bed, "Okay, mamma."

The Mumrik shuffled down the stairs, half asleep while Snorkmamma followed shortly behind, excited to start the day. Snorkpappa sat in a dark wooden chair and waved at his wife and the small child next to her, "Hullo, dear! Hullo...Er-"

"Snufkin!" Snufkin proudly announced his _new_ name, while Snorkpappa glanced at his lover. "Did he remember his name?" He asked, already beginning to eat. Snorkmamma lead Snufkin down to a seat and shook her head, "M'afraid not, love. _But_ I gave him a name myself! I think he likes it, hm?" She ruffled Snufkin's hair and sat down in her own chair and began eating the pancakes that Snorkpappa so kindly made for them.

"I do!" Snufkin grabbed the pancake with his paws and took a large bite, which internally made both of the Snorks cringe...But who were they to judge? 

"That's great, child! Now please, continue to eat while mamma and I discuss...A certain topic." Snorkpappa turned to his wife, which sat closely to him, and he whispered in her ear.

Promptly, she whispered back.

Snufkin grew frustrated with the long discussion happening before him, especially when he wasn't involved. What if they were talking ill things about him?

"Excuse me, what are you so hushed for?" Snufkin's tail flicked under the table, trying to hide his impatience. 

The Snorks shared a look before grinning at him, "Well, aren't you a cute little nosy thing, hm?" Snorkpappa light-heartedly (Which...Wasn't _said_ too kindly) commented, gaining a gentle push from Snorkmamma from under the table. "First of all," She shot a look of daggers at her husband before softening her gaze to look at Snufkin, "We aren't talking badly about you, if that's what you're worried about. Its the people in the village that will be. So, we were discussing having you wear a cloak."

"People are gonna' talk badly about me?" He recoiled, feeling ashamed.

"Well, you...Uh, _are_ a Mumrik, after all- A-AND NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT-" She shook her hands in dismissal, "Mumriks are grand creatures but- Others...Such as Hemulens...Dont like them as much. And the same goes for Snorks! A lot will be kind and understanding, whilst others? Not so much."

"Hemulens?"

Oh.

He remembered Hemulens.

"Is there...Something wrong, dear? You look pale!" Snorkmamma stood to reach to him.

Snufkin shook his head, slowly regaining color, "N-no, I'm fine! I just...I think I remember feeling in danger by a Hemulen."

Snorkpappa frowned, and nodded in understanding, "I'm sorry you had to experience that-"

"We promise everything will be okay!" Snorkmamma butted in, "You can always vent to us if you need to, hon."

Snufkin nodded, feeling...Warm. "Okay, mamma. Thanks, p-pappa." He continued to eat, while the two Snorks sighed at one another and continued their meals.

When they finished, Snufkin was the first to stand, "If I may, mamma, could I go bathe now?"

Snorkmamma stood after him, "Of course! You know how to use a washroom now, right?"

"Yes! I'll be quick."

He ran hurriedly upstairs, ready to finally get out. Snorkpappa turned to his wife and beamed, "He's got quite the vocabulary, doesn't he?"

"Didn't you already say that, dear?"

"Oh...Er, I don't remember." He scratched his head before sighing, "Doesn't matter, let's clean up and get this over with."

* * *

"That thing you made me wear was sooo uncomfy!" Snufkin tore the cloak off and tossed it onto a coat hanger then hobbled over to the couch and flopped down next to where Snorkpappa was sitting. The Snork gazed down at the small child, confused. What was that child doing anyway? 

Snufkin flipped his body over and stared at Snorkpappa with big, brown eyes, with a tiny smile.

"You remind me of a man I see in my dreams!" He exclaimed, his tail wagging softly.

Snorkpappa grinned at his comment, but was still visibly confused, "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah! He picks me up and holds me and we chase butterflies! I never see his face, though." Snufkin stated, messing with his paws awkwardly.

' _A man? Hm, that's odd. Why would he be dreaming of a man that acts patnerally t- OH._ ' Snorkpappa frowned. He was dreaming of his father. The father he couldn't even remember. He reached over to Snufkin and ruffled his hair lovingly and sighed, "You'll catch butterflies with that man one day, Snufkin."

Snufkin brightly smiled at him.

"Oh, Snu- Am I interrupting?" Snorkmamma stepped into the living room, looking tired.

"No, not at all dear!" Snorkpappa watched the Mumrik with perked ears, observing how fondly he reacted to Snorkmamma's voice.

"Well, then! Snufkin, honey, would you mind watching the pie cool down for a moment?"

Snufkin hopped off the couch and nodded vigorously, running to the kitchen like he was about to be gifted a grand thing. Snorkmamma chuckled at his reaction and settled down next to her husband, leaning against his ever so slightly. "I told you that you'd warm up to him." She teased, nudging him gently.

He rolled his eyes lovingly, "I never said I wouldn't!"

"It only took you two days!"

"Yes, dear. Like how it took you less than an hour?"

"Oh hush you!" She giggled and shook her head at the situation unraveling before her. She hadn't laughed like this with him for a long time.

"Ahahaha! You best go check if Snufkin snuck a taste of the pie you so kindly made." Snorkpappa retorted kindly while readjusting his bowtie.

"Oh, heavens! You're right!" Snorkmamma stood quickly from the couch and hurried back to the kitchen, fretting of what happened to the warm pie she let a four year old watch over. Snorkpappa stared after her, his heart fluttering. When was the last time he smiled this much? He couldn't remember. Snufkin was almost like a gift from the Gods, and he was beyond thankful for the life Snufkin brought back to them. He spent a good chunk of his life grieving for someone he lost and someone he couldn't be, and now? His shoulders felt a little lighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> snorkpappa: u cant take in random kids that u find outside
> 
> snorkmamma: sir that's my emotional support mumrik
> 
> snorkpappa: ok he's my emotional support mumrik too now
> 
> ////////////////////
> 
> Snorkmamma is basically Moominmamma but less adventurous. She likes the calm and has lived her whole life doing nothing too risky (unlike moominmamma) so I felt that I should clarify this SKJFJKFS and Snorkpappa tends to shoot wild animals that he doesn't know are dangerous or not 'cuz he's fuckin paranoid 🤷 (me too tho-)
> 
> they're doing their best lmao
> 
> Also quick vent thing:
> 
> My brain recently hasn't been responding well. I'm forgetting things/events seconds after they happen to me and its concerning me and not only has it affected my schoolwork and life, its beginning to effect my writing. Things here and there are forgotten and sometimes even unwritten even though I know exactly what I wish to write :( At this point, Im not even sure where to go from here, even though I have a plan! Forming words and sentences and remembering grammar and punctuation is becoming so hard and I'm really concerned for my brain. I have to use Grammarly now and even sometimes Grammarly cant pick up what I'm trying to say SNJSJSJSS
> 
> my point is, Im sorry if things are looking rough, choppy, and kinda bad. This is the best I can do as of now, and I'm probably going to go see a doctor soon cuz i don't think i should be losing memory in such a short amount of time :) tbh I'm sure what they're gonna tell me is "uR NoT eaTINg eNoUgh!11!!!111" Like, yeah? ya think? SKSDJDKDF
> 
> Edit, again: OKAY so i have a therapist now and she told me that the result of my memory loss is most likely because of trauma ._. RIP SHJDHJDSKJ
> 
> why do the snork parents ruffle snufkin's hair so much? a question that not even scientists can answer


	9. The fool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As in, Joxter and his "jail buds" play a game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay everyone get ready :)
> 
> warning: some things may b a bit wonky here n there since its like almost 2 am and I'm beyond exhausted thanks to exams so I'll b back later today to fix it,,, thanks! <33 also blood warning and some s*icidal thoughts for just a moment, thanks again! <3

"Hm, y'know my son is five now?"

"Yeah, Mumriks age. That's what we do."

"Quit the smartass comments, Kanashe, or else I'll push you!"

"You wouldn't _dare._ "

Snorklilly growled, "Would you two shut up?! You both hardly know how to behave."

Joxter yawned dramatically, stretching his arms above his head and arching his back. He stood from the stone floor and sighed, "I wish we had actual beds."

Snorklilly shook her head in disbelief, "You're lucky we're even alive given the fact that we've attempted over 40 escapes." 

Joxter gave her a cunning smile and shrugged, "The chief is basically treating it like a game now, so why not play? Speaking of which, why not escape now? It's been quite a bit since our last attempt."

Snorklilly glared at him for a moment, lingering on his answer before shrugging back, "Yeah, I guess so!"

"I got a bad feelin' about this. If we try to escape again, somethin' _really_ bad might happen," Vinenix commented, concerned.

Joxter waved his paw in dismissal, "The least we'll get is another beating! Besides, who says this time it won't work?"

Vinenix approached him threateningly but stopped himself. He didn't want to fight, at least not today. He backed away to Snorklilly and nudged her, "Tell him that his ideas are stupid and reckless!"

Snorklilly's white and gold-tipped tail swayed in the air while she shook her head, standing straight and off the cold stone wall, "No, I trust him _this time._ Besides, he's right. We've been here for a long time and there comes a point where we need to get off our asses and work!"

The red-haired Mumrik scowled and turned away while Joxter threw his arms in the air and cheered, savoring the moment of winning the argument against him. Joxter waved his paw out to signal them over, taking a seat in the imaginary circle he created. Vinenix sat opposite of him, angry, while Taavetti sat next to the upset Mumrik. "Kanashe? Aren't you going to sit down?" Taavetti softly asked, meanwhile Kanashe shook his head. "Nah, I'm good! I'd rather stand."

Snorklilly took his spot next to Joxter, "It's your loss!"

Joxter shushed them while he glanced at a piece of charcoal he stole from a torture room and took hold of it, spinning it in his paws while lost in thought. He analyzed the jail cell around him along with his friends and took note of things he hadn't thought of before. This plan _had_ to be perfect, precise, and of course, planned. He nitpicked small bits of his friends that would be useful to the success of this mission, and he knew which things were essential and what wasn't.

He positioned his paw over the stone floor in the middle of the circle and began, "Kanashe, your paws and arms are the smallest. Your job is to reach between the cell bars and use your claws to unlock it. I noticed that the lock has become rusty and therefore, it will be simple to remove. I, being _almost_ the strongest and the stealthiest here, will sneak past the guards and knock them out." Joxter then drew a circle, "From there, Snorklilly, who _is_ the strongest, will dispose of the guards. Taavetti and Vinenix will then take the lead," He drew a line from the circle to another he drew after, "And go through the _right_ path, not left. Check for any guards and remove them. Then, we will meet up at the door to the cafeteria then retrieve our stuff! It'll be simple. Understood?"

The crew nodded, standing up in agreement.

"Fine, I'll follow along. However, if someone gets hurt, _you'll_ pay the price." Vinenix crossed his arms.

"I won't be paying for a thing because no one will get hurt." Joxter shrugged, glaring at Vinenix in contempt.

* * *

The prison was much different at night, at least to Joxter. It sent shivers down his spine, despite being here for almost a year. However, he began to get used to his new world, and he hoped on the stars that this escape would be the one. He hoped and hoped, putting his faith in the hands of some greater source out there, yearning for a chance to be outside once more.

Lanterns decorated the room, illuminating it the slightest bit while it revealed dust floating in the air while the light created silhouettes of the two guards protecting the jail cell. Joxter silently stood from the floor he pretended to be asleep on and noiselessly stepped over to the bars, flicking his tail against the wall lightly, enough to give the sign but not enough to alert the guards. Kanashe then stood from his place and tip-toed over to Joxter, reaching his arm between the bars easily and hastily picked the lock.

Then, when the jail cell opened, Kanashe swiftly went back to his spot and feigned being asleep, while Joxter lurked in the dark.

The two guards promptly heard the cell open as they went to check, hoping that it was simply just something they heard and not a quiet, dangerous Mumrik escaping. 

"Hm...Looks like they're all asleep?" One spoke in a hushed tone.

"Seems so! The rusty lock must've let loose."

"Wasn't there five of them-"

"ACK-"

Joxter panted as he recoiled his paws, while they throbbed with pain. "Shit...Hemulen necks are tougher than they look!" He whispered, flicking his paws in an effort of shaking off the pain. Snorklilly rose from her place and rolled her eyes fondly, "Let's continue, shall we?" She bent down, snagged a key from them and tossed it to the tall raven-haired Mumrik, and grabbed the guards by their ankles, and dragged them off into another hallway. Taavetti and Vinenix held each other's paws while Kanashe followed shortly behind as they dashed into the right hallway, content about the result of the escape thus far. 

Joxter lingered behind for a moment, waiting for Snorklilly to emerge from the shadows.

"C'mon, we need to hurry!" Joxter whisper-shouted.

Snorklilly ran out, panting, "Sorry! One of the guards didn't stay down and I had to strike him again!" She whisper-shouted back.

Joxter nodded, "No worries,"

They glimpsed behind them for a moment then turned to run after the rest of the group.

Stumbling into view, Snorklilly and Joxter wheezed. 

"Took ya' long enough! We were beginning to think you got captured!" Kanashe said.

"Did you get the key?" Taavetti asked, watching Joxter nod in confirmation.

"Indeed! Hemulens are quite easy to knock out! It's their fault for having such long necks, haha!" Joxter held out the key and slowly cringed at how loud he was, while Vinenix proved that he was noisy. "Shh! You're going to get us caught!" Vinenix hissed, taking the key and sliding it into a slot.

He turned and grinned at the click that determined that it was open. Vinenix pushed the door open and the group quivered from the rush of cold air from the cafeteria. "Let's go," Vinenix ordered and continued, while the rest of the crew obeyed. "Why're we heading this way?" Kanashe asked, blinking blindly in the umbrae.

"They have our things in the next room after, and we cannot reach it any other way. We're going to get our things and go, there's an exit for workers there and they're most likely dozing off on the job, I noticed that most Hemulens within that job tend to do that," Joxter explained and shrugged.

"Oh!"

The cafeteria was _large._ And if it were any larger, Joxter swore that he'd get lost in there. He didn't like the cafeteria...The only food options that were there are either literal shit _or_ something that slightly resembled food. He couldn't wait to go back home. It was pitch black within the vast room, and they all couldn't use their night vision. They were far too worried about getting caught thanks to the glow of their eyes.

"Oof!"

"Careful, Kanashe," Joxter warned gently.

"Sorry, It's too dark in here!"

"Wait."

Joxter patted his pockets.

"Where's the key?"

They exchanged glances, all of their hearts sinking. Slowly shifting to the door, they stared with dismay in their eyes.

In the door-way, there stood the chief himself, grinning maliciously. "Hm. What is it this time? Your...49th attempt? I admire your persistence but now you're just askin' for it," He chuckled egotistically. He held up the key to boast, watching the lights turn on one by one.

"You think you're so high and mighty, just wait until I tear you apart you ugly piece of rat shit!" Kanashe spat.

The chief twisted his head in Kanashe's direction and growled, looming up to him swiftly and knocking him on his mouth with the bottom of his pistol. Kanashe stumbled back, covering his mouth with his paw. Joxter grit his teeth and snarled, leaning in threateningly. "Back away from the kid, you asshole!"

The Hemulen turned and aimed his gun, glowering, "You know, I'm getting pretty sick of you and your loudmouth! I'll blow it off for you!"

Finger set on the trigger, he pulled with no hesitation.

_BAM!_

...

Joxter opened his eyes which he didn't know he closed, heart pounding against his ribcage as the air was sucked out of him. He didn't feel pain, nor a bullet. He didn't see blood when he looked down, but when he looked ahead...His legs almost collapsed.

"TAAVETTI!!" Vinenix shrieked, running over to his side, watching in horror as Taavetti slumped to his knees, blood gushing from the bullet wound in his chest. Unable to hold himself much longer, Taavetti dropped onto his side, heaving through shaky breaths.

"Ah, missed! Oh well, get back to your cell this instant before you're _all_ dead." The chief cautioned.

Vinenix's paws trembled as they hovered over his 'soulmate's' body, watching hopelessly as the life drained from his once lively face. "P-please, Taavetti, don't...Don't leave me here alone! I can't make it without you, _please!_ Don't leave m-me!" He sobbed helplessly, burying his face into the crook of his lover's shoulder. It didn't feel like it once did, now it was cold when it once was warm and inviting. His heart shattered, wailing desperately.

"I said, _let's go._ " The chief pointed his gun once more.

Joxter was breathless, aching at the loss of his friend. It was his fault.

His fault.

If he hadn't...Maybe he...Maybe it...

Joxter choked up and walked after the chief slowly, with Snorklilly and Kanashe following behind with his bloody mouth. They hesitated for a second, waiting for Vinenix to get up and follow as well, afraid that he'd stay with Taavetti's body and he'd get himself killed. Their fears quickly subsided when Vinenix stood, sniffling and with Taavetti's body in his arms and he began walking out of the cafeteria like the rest of them.

Arriving back to the jail cell, the chief pushed them back in at gun-point and slammed the jail cell shut, locking it once again. "One more time and I'll scoop out your eyes and have you removed from this world," He warned, stepping away and back to his office. 

Joxter's ears rang, breathing laboriously in dread as tears poured from his face. His mind raced with self-blaming thoughts. It was his fault. His fault. HIS FAULT. He caused this. 

He did this.

He was at fault. He killed Taavetti.

He killed him.

And he couldn't stop thinking.

Joxter couldn't hear the voices around him, but he knew that Snorklilly was trying her best to assist him as much as she could, And through his blurry vision, he saw that Kanashe was trying to comfort Vinenix, but Vinenix was still hunched over Taavetti's lifeless body, sobbing uncontrollably. Joxter's world spun around him and he wanted to throw up. Gods...He wanted to die. He wanted to run away severely. 

He felt like a fool, thinking that after 49 tries that he'd finally be able to set his friends and himself free. He felt lost.

Snorklilly takes him into an embrace, soothing him. After a moment or so, Joxter was able to think and see clearly. "Thank you, Snorklilly." He bashfully said.

"Aw, it's no problem, Joxter." She gave him a smile before frowning, "I'm sorry your plan didn't work. It almost did! You're certainly right, the chief has to be stopped."

"But...Don't you see what's been done? Taavetti is dead because of _me._ "

"Were you the one holding the gun? No? Didn't think so. It's not your fault. You had everything planned out right, all of what happened was purely accidental and it was in _no_ way your fault. Sure, There were some things here and there that were flawed, but hey! A little bit of self-improvement couldn't hurt, right?" Snorklilly chuckled and nudged him playfully before sighing, a glum expression taking over her old happy one, "I really cared for him too, you know? I feel like I just lost a brother of mine that...I'll never get back. But I know Taavetti wouldn't want us dwelling on what happened, he would want us to keep on going! He would want us to survive. So, why don't you survive with me?" She gave him another warm smile.

Joxter made a small laugh and wiped his wet tear-stained cheeks, "Thanks, Snorklilly. Um...I'm going to try and speak to Vinenix, if you don't mind moving a smidge?"

Snorklilly lit up red and nodded vigorously while moving out of the way, "O-oh! Of course! My apologies!"

Joxter shook his head in amusement, trying to lighten the mood, "No worries!"

He faced in Vinenix's direction, his heart breaking in two for the Mumrik that was aching over his loss. Joxter sat near him, but not too close as to not invade his space. "Hei, Um...I'm very sorry for what happened, I...I know saying sorry will never be enough. Nothing could fix this, _nothing_ , and I am so terribly sorry for what I've done, indirectly or not. You don't have to forgive me, I just wanted to let you know that I never meant for any of this to happen and if you ever need anything I-"

"Shut up."

"What?"

"I said, **_shut up._** "

Joxter swallowed thickly and nodded, "Understood." He stood from the floor and wandered back over to Snorklilly and sighed heavily, covering his face with his paws. Kanashe stepped next to joxter with a slightly swollen and scabbed lip and gave him a wobbly smile, "I know ya didn't mean for any of this to happen. You're a good person, Jox. You had us all in mind and it's not your fault that it ended up this way. Don't take what Vinenix says personally, he was just very close to him and he's grieving, he'll get better soon!" Kanashe crossed his arms and stared at him kindly.

"Thank you for your kind words, the both of you. But it doesn't mean my actions weren't reckless. I should've listened to Vinenix." Joxter sighed, "I fear that Taavetti hates me now."

"Well, first of all. How would you have known that Taavetti was going to get in front of you? You were just trying to protect me! And second of all, Taavetti admired you like a father. He could never hate you nor anyone." Kanashe explained.

Snorklilly agreed, "Yeah. Taavetti loved all of us and he'd want us to be happy, so let's rest for the night, hm? Tomorrow will be...Not so good, but we'll get through it together."

"Jail buds?" Kanashe offered.

"Jail buds." Joxter and Snorklilly replied sweetly.

Separating to go to their certain sleeping places, Joxter laid down in thought. Tomorrow was going to be their first day without Taavetti. What in the name of hell was he supposed to do?

He didn't know, but he definitely needed some shut-eye.

* * *

"Hey! Hey, old man! Wake up!"

"Oh, thank fuck it was just a dream!"

"Huh? What? No, Taavetti's dead."

"Oh," Joxter rubbed his eyes, frowning, "Where's Vinenix?"

"Well, he's right there, but he's refusing to speak to anyone since some medics took away Taavetti's body."

"Is he wearing Taavetti's bow?!" Joxter watched Vinenix's tail sway, weighed down by the marriage bow. Kanashe nodded, "Yup! He removed it just in time. Poor guy, he must really miss him."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Joxter sighed, standing and stretching his sore muscles. "Let me try and talk to him again," He walked over and tenderly sat down next to him, "Um...So. Vinenix. I...I'm very sorry for your loss and I was hoping that you'd speak to me so that we can sort out what happened, you know? I didn't mean for any of this to happen and I'm so sorry that my actions hurt you like this."

Vinenix's tail quit moving abruptly, "Sort...Out? Sort out what happened?" He stood slowly, making Joxter uneasy as he stood as well.

"I lost the only good thing that has ever happened to me and you...Want to sort it out? _**FINE.**_ _Let's sort it out._ "

Kanashe and Snorklilly gazed in fright at what was about to be declared and they hoped that it wasn't what they thought it was.

"7 PM, You and me. Fight behind the yard, don't be late, _or else._ "

"You want to fight?!"

"That's right. One on one. I'll see you there, _Joxter._ " He spoke his name like it was foul poison.

Joxter stared with wide eyes and frowned, "Understood."

He backed away, watching Vinenix return to swaying his tail and staring off at the distance before him. Kanashe stumbled over with a strained smile, "Oh boy..."

Snorklilly held the same expression, fearing what the outcome will be.

Joxter was...In shock, to say the least.

Kanashe placed his hands on his hips, "Well... Welcome to your first jail fight!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rip taavetti you didn't even last for more than 2 chapters 💔
> 
> Anyway, hi! sorry :D
> 
> I'll b honest with yall,,, i dissociated through half of this chapter JDJKJDK I was so out of it lmaoo literally I was typing to just type I wasn't even paying attention ahdksd
> 
> i kinda waited until last second cuz of exams n shit TwT hopefully i passed bc if i didn't i postponed the chapter for no reason 💔
> 
> um,, ik that snorklilly and kanashe are acting like they don't care that taavetti is dead but they're used to death :( its smth that they had to experience and watch everyday so its nothing new to them. Yeah, its killing them inside but they're very good at hiding it, same with Joxter.
> 
> But they all love and miss him ofc and I'll miss writing for him but he gotta go


	10. Spitting out bloody teeth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As in, Joxter and Vinenix learn a ✨valuable lesson✨ (kinda.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: flashbacks of past child abuse! starts at the italicized "no." and ends at "what was he thinking?" i'll give a summary of what happened at the end of the chapter :] 
> 
> edit: yall know the drill HHSSHH I'll be back to change any mistakes that i find later I had a long day today, sorry!!! TwT
> 
> hey y'all!!! srry for the lateness (at least i updated today lmao-) and the short chapter,,, but fights aren't usually that long and this chap will b establishing smth so,, short chapter it is! the next one will b slightly shorter as well BUT after that, longer chapters will come out again! :D idk if any of yall care enough for taavetti but i do so yes I'm sad 🥺💕 /lh
> 
> also ik that when taavetti is first introduced, he tells joxter that he just came in 2 weeks ago so vinenix and taavetti weren't that close but since over a bit of a year has passed (snufkin is 5 as of now) they developed a some sort of a relationship but it was never official bc taavetti wanted to consult his wife first if they ever escaped (unfortunately now, taavetti is dead dkjdsjs) but vinenix did truly love taavetti, as much as taavetti loved vinenix.
> 
> anyways that was sad story of the day 
> 
> oh and another thing, ik snufkin in canon grew up without parents or parental guidance but its kinda the same in this fic! snorkmamma and snorkpappa were less of parents to him,, they're more like friends. cant explain anymore tho cuz shh! spoliers! so you'll just have to wait till chapter 12-13 to see ;)
> 
> and finally,,, ik this fic has been getting p heavy but dw,, fluffy content will be coming soon and I'll still do my absolute best to update much faster! But,,,, maybe when school is over/summer is here because uhhh,,, I'm going to physical school so less time for writing :( but I'll try anyways!!!

"How do I even _do_ a jail fight?" Joxter muttered into his paws, which were firmly pressed against his face in shame.

"It's really not that hard- Oh, are you going to eat that?" Kanashe pointed at Joxter's tray. Joxter shook his head and watched in disgust as Kanashe reached over the table took his serving, "You know you should be eating, even if it's slob on a tray."

"It's a hard pass," Joxter shuddered at the memory of trying the garbage, gaining a laugh from Kanashe, "Seriously! How are you supposed to fight while you're dizzy from malnutrition? Here, take mine. I'm not hungry anyway." Kanashe slid his tray over to Joxter as Snorklilly took a seat beside the tall Mumrik without a tray of her own, "Oh? Kanashe's giving you his food?" She questioned.

Kanashe simpered, "He's got a big fight! Besides, I took some from him first."

Snorklilly's ear twitched in amusement as she signaled to Joxter, "Well, go ahead. Eat."

Joxter gagged internally as he rolled his eyes and began eating, "I'm only doing this because I have a fight to win."

The mix laughed and then settled down, facing Kanashe, "So...Any Mumriks coming to the fight?"

Kanashe sighed, "I don't think so. No one's said anything and it's in the courtyard and most Mumriks here don't even have the energy to go outside in the first place," Kanashe shook his head, "It sucks that you have to do this."

" **Odota**! Why do I have to do this? Can't I just walk out?" Joxter asked, throwing his paws in the air in desperation. Kanashe laughed softly, "It's like you forget that Vinenix is in the same cell as us. If he doesn't rip your face off on the courtyard then he'll do it while you're sleepin'," He said, pulling a small pebble out of his pocket and flicked it away. Joxter ran his paw through his hair, huffing irritably. 

But he understood why Vinenix was so angry. If the person he loved the most had gotten killed, he'd light into flames and take down anyone ahead of him.

"The fight will probably end quickly. Vinenix may have a temper but if you reach to him, he'll let ya' win."

Joxter pondered on Kanashe's sentence. He had a point! He'd seen Vinenix getting angry at people for bumping into him, but then he'd apologize if the other apologized as well. It was...Quite an interesting cycle to see for himself. But, he'd rather not think of it. 

Did he even want to win anyway? 

Nothing was stopping him from just letting Vinenix tear him to shreds. _Anything_ was better than the hell he was trapped in. Didn't he deserve it? It was _his_ fault for letting Taavetti face his certain doom in the first place. Joxter shook his head, trying to remove those thoughts.

"I suppose so, but what if he kills me just out of spite? My son needs me!" Joxter quickly finished his tray before the knot in his stomach could return.

"Your son isn't here right now, what you need to do is focus on winning, not whether you're going to get killed or not. Besides, we won't let that happen to you!" Kanashe reassured, "Go ahead and toss that tray out, it's almost time."

Joxter nodded, feeling the slightest bit better despite his growing nausea. Snorklilly stretched, standing from her seat and patting Joxter on the back, "C'mon! You got this, we believe in you."

The tall Mumrik smiled awkwardly, "Thanks, hopefully I'll survive."

"You'll be prepared," Kanashe stood as well, waiting for Joxter to follow.

Throwing out his tray, Joxter turned and signaled his friends out of the cafeteria, avoiding bumping into any other Mumriks.

He had...A lot of planning to do.

* * *

It was dangerously close to 7 pm, the sky turning darker and darker. Joxter's heart raced faster as the time flew by, leaving him breathless with the most simplest actions. Vinenix had sat faraway from the group, bitterly mumbling to himself.

Joxter had removed his smock, leaving it neatly folded on the jail cell's floor. He hoped that he wouldn't have needed to take it off, but he didn't want to risk ruining the only article of clothing that he had to wear besides his pants, his tanktop and ect.

He spent most of his afternoon discussing things with Kanashe and Snorklilly, which were mostly fighting techniques and other tips and tricks that he could use in order to defend himself. Joxter hadn't listened to most of them as his headspace was truly out of it and he had no time to waste focusing on the things his friends offered. His mind was far too busy making him dread the worst-case scenarios that would cause him to stress even more.

Popping his joints in his knuckles, Joxter enjoyed one final moment before it was time to leave. Mumriks really only got one chance to go outside, which wasn't very often, and he despised the fact that he had to spend his time outside getting beaten up by a guy he's known for less than a year.

Kanashe walked over to him, almost solemnly and softly spoke, "It's time."

"It is?"

He heard the voices of guards opening jail cells and leading Mumriks out, and he felt his ears droop and his heart sink.

"Good luck out there, Jox." Kanashe patted his shoulder reassuringly.

Joxter gave him a shaky, nervous grin, "I'll do my best."

* * *

It was dark out.

"So, you came?"

"Did I have a choice?" Joxter stretched his arms and placed his paws on his hips.

Vinenix gave him an angry smile, "No, no you didn't."

The Mumriks surrounding the area peeked from where they were, interested in the building tension. Joxter took a few steps to the side, watching Vinenix copy his movements, creating a pace forming a circle.

"We don't have to do this, Vinenix, this will _not_ solve anything." Joxter continued circling the area, keeping his eyes on every move the red-haired Mumrik made. Vinenix halted and laughed.

"I warned you. I _told_ you that someone would get hurt but NO. You never listen, you're always in that immature head of yours. You're so full of yourself that you can barely see the consequences of your actions! Maybe that's why you ended up here, and maybe that's why your pathetic son is probably out there rotting away in the groun-"

Joxter threw the first swing, knocking Vinenix right on the left cheek, sending him a good few inches away. Vinenix let out a loud grunt and rubbed his face, which was beginning to turn red from the impact. " _Don't EVER talk about my son like that you flea-bag,_ " Joxter shouted, fury blinding his common sense.

Vinenix spat to the ground, rubbing away the blood from his mouth, "Bastard." He lunged forward, knocking Joxter in the chest. The raven-haired Mumrik huffed out, gritting his teeth when he received the blow. He didn't take the time to dwell on the ebbing pain as he swung once again, but being stopped by Vinenix's wooden paw left him straining to land the hit. They stood balanced, both forces unable to pass as their equal strength kept them in place. 

Kanashe and Snorklilly stood far to the side, unsure if they should stop the fight. They eventually decided against it, knowing that the fight wasnt bad enough to call quits. Other Mumriks had begun to gather around, cheering the conflict on.

Eventually, Vinenix managed to take a stronger hold on Joxter's arm and pushed him away, causing him to land ass first onto the ground. He shook his head and growled, standing once again, determined to win. He struck once again, hitting Vinenix in the jaw and wincing when his knuckles ached when they made contact with the bony part of his face. Vinenix stood stunned for a moment, before aiming and kicking Joxter in the stomach.

He lurched forward, feeling warm blood trickle down his nose and he coughed little droplets of crimson out onto the courtyard's floor.

Finally mustering the strength to fight back again, Joxter threw another punch, but missed and fell forward, landing on his chest. He heaved, exhausted from the action and the chaos. He faintly heard Kanashe and Snorklilly amongst other voices telling him to get up. Unable to respond fast enough, Joxter turned to see Vinenix landing a blow on his face, forcing his head back with the punch. Joxter struggled to breathe, as now his nose was gushing blood. 

Vinenix stood proudly, spitting next to his head (missing by only an inch,) "I should just kill you right now. You took away the only person I ever loved! But I know it wont be as satisfactory as watching you limp in agony for a month." He spoke venomously, accepting his victory.

Joxter lifted himself with his trembling arms and propped himself onto his elbows, blood trickled down his face and onto his white tanktop, staining it red.

"N-no, I-I can still win this! I kn-know I can!"

"Prove it then, _hit me._ "

Joxter's eyes widened.

_No._

His throat tightened.

_Not again._

Through his bleary vision, he could've sworn he saw the silhouette of a man he once knew.

_Please, not again!_

His father.

_Please don't hurt me!_

Pulling himself onto his knees, his blurry vision kept swapping between seeing Vinenix's form and the shape of his father. He couldn't see, he couldn't breathe, and he ached all over. It was all too _real._ Like he was living in his childhood all over again. He couldn't do that, not ever again.

Standing on his two shaky feet, Joxter growled at Vinenix's mocking.

"Aww!! So you think you can actually win this?"

"Shut _UP. YOU CAN'T HURT ME ANYMORE, HAMARYYS._ "

Vinenix suddenly stopped, confused, "I'm sorry, who?"

Joxter pinned him down, fury and fear taking over any thought as he hit him repeatedly. Vinenix reached up, trying to fight back, clawing at his arms but failed as he was receiving blow after blow. Scarlet ran from his nose, writhing and struggling to escape from the grasp as he was pummeled by Joxter's fists, hit after hit.

Vinenix couldn't breathe, black beginning to overtake his sight as he growled and yelled for help, managing to slice Joxter's side, tearing at the white fabric and once again turning it red. Joxter yelled, hyperventilating, " _L-leave me alone and never come back!!!_ " He pleaded, continuing to bring his fists down on Vinenix's face, who was already on the edge of unconsciousness. It was all too much, every bit of him was screaming at him to end him, remove him so he could never be hurt again. But this isn't his father...What was he thinking?

"JOXTER, STOP! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HIM!" Kanashe finally shouted.

Joxter paused his throws and panted, blinking until his blurry vision subdued and revealed a very battered Vinenix laying on the ground underneath him. He wasn't _too_ injured, as in, he wasn't fatally damaged. Nothing was broken (as far as he knew, really) and he couldn't see much of his face anyway thanks to the pouring liquid coming from his nose and his broken and torn lip. He was in a terrible condition, and Joxter was sure that he looked much the same.

Scrambling off of the Mumrik and once again standing on his two wobbly legs, Joxter stared around him, ears ringing and unable to hear cheers or exclamations of shock. He'd won...But only because of a really strong flashback.

He wasn't proud of it. Not one bit.

He watched as Snorklilly and Kanashe ran up to him, he held a paw up.

"D-don't....Don't approach yet." He mumbled, trying hard to keep himself standing.

The two Mumriks lingered before taking a few steps back, frowning at one another.

"Alright, outside time is over, Mumriks." A hemulen guard shouted. Other surrounding Mumriks quickly ran to form rows and headed back to their cells, stunned from the fight.

Vinenix had survived, somehow, holding himself up with shaking arms. His sight and hearing was failing him lightly, but he was still breathing and able to move. Joxter turned to face him and frowned, eyes glistening. He held a paw out, offering it as a apology. Does helping someone after beating them up count as a appropriate apology? Joxter didn't bother letting the thought linger.

Vinenix stared up at Joxter with watery, violet eyes. He flicked his gaze from Joxter's battered face to his paw.

Joxter gave him an apologetic, gentle smile.

No words were shared between them. What words were there to use? Vinenix took Joxter's paw and flinched at the pain in his shoulder joints. Finally standing on his feet, Vinenix allowed Joxter to silently walk them both back to their cells while Snorklilly and Kanashe trailed behind, speechless on their own terms.

Even though it was a drastic fight, the air felt a little less heavy than it did before to Joxter.

* * *

"How are you feeling, Vinenix?" Joxter asked, sitting next to him as Snorklilly patched his side wound.

"....Bad."

Joxter grinned sympathetically, "Of course you do, you must be exhausted," He then frowned, "I truly do hope you forgive me for what I did...I never meant to hurt you so bad."

"Well, I'm still here, I suppose! Besides, I'm the one who worked you up. I'm very sorry too," Vinenix sighed, then raised an eyebrow, "Oh, and, who's Hämäryys? You yelled that to me when you were bashing my face in," The humor in his voice was clear, despite having a grumpy expression.

Joxter froze at the name and glanced away, "I-it was someone I used to know. I saw him instead of you and that's why I..." He swallowed thickly, unable to finish his sentence.

"Oh."

The awkward silence choked the both of them, leaving them to just glance anywhere but at each other. Snorklilly finished wiping his scratches with some spare cloth she found lying around during her stay, "You two boys are so foolish, we would've had more fatalities if Kanashe hadn't stepped in!" She scolded.

"Why didn't you step in?" Vinenix retorted, crossing his arms before being gently slapped by Kanashe who was putting a cold flask (stolen from an officer) on Vinenix's freshly forming bruises and didn't want his elbows getting in the way. Snorklilly paused and rolled her eyes, "I _did._ Kanashe's voice is louder than mine and it was drowned out. Besides, we're all at fault here. This fight shouldn't have been condoned in the first place! Aren't you both in your late 20s? Grow up!" She finished tending to Joxter's final wound and stepped back, cracking her knuckles.

"You got a big mouth for someone who supported Joxter's escape plan," Vinenix teased, finally finding some scrap of humor in the situation.

Snorklilly reciprocated, laughing gently before taking a seat on her place to rest, "Please, his plan would've worked! It's the chief's fault."

"You two are talking about me like I'm not here," Joxter pouted, curling his tail in embarrassment.

"Vinenix, please stop moving," Kanashe said, trying to place the cold flask on his brusies.

"It hurts!" He whined, pushing Kanashe away with his paw.

"Geez, fine! Jox, come here, it's your turn."

Joxter stood, supporting himself with the wall and plopped down next to Kanashe after Vinenix got up and walked to his spot. Wincing when Kanashe held the flask against his bruises, Joxter sighed at the cold that was relieving some of the pain.

"It's all over now! So, no more fighting?" Kanashe teased.

"No more fighting," Joxter and Vinenix responded. 

"Excellent!" Snorklilly clasped her hands together, "I'm going to get some rest, watching you two beat the shit out of each other was emotionally wreckiiiing." She yawned dramatically and laid on her back, flicking her tail playfully.

"Yeah, I'm sleepin' too. I dunno about y'all but getting my ass handed to me has got me feeling exhausted, G'night!" Vinenix laid on his side as much as he could, being gentle with his injuries.

"Funny how after all of this, he's actually in a sort of good mood, hm?" Kanashe whispered, chuckling softly.

"Yeah, I thought he'd end me for sure for what I did to him..." Joxter whispered back, ears and tail drooping in shame.

"Hey, don't blame yourself, okay? We're all in a bad situation. You got this, man! _We_ got this." Kanashe nudged him in an attempt of making him feel better.

Joxter smiled faintly, "Thanks, Kanashe."

Kanashe smiled back, brightly, "It's absolutely no problem! C'mon, lets get you to sleep too, hm? You must be tired as well."

"Woah! The one and only Kanashe being caring? No way!" He playfully nudged him back like he did before and received a soft push in return.

"Haha! Okay, okay! Seriously, old man, go to bed. Goodnight!"

Joxter shifted over to his spot and laid down, "Goodnight, too."

Kanashe went to where he slept and laid on his side and went to sleep, while Joxter stared into nothing.

 _What a day...,_ His mind echoed before falling into a deep slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> summary: joxter, snorklilly, and kanashe speak about the fight and then discuss joxter's son. Vinenix and Joxter fight, and Joxter remembers his father, during this, he hallucinates that vinenix is his father and he wins the fight by sheer fear (and plot armor-). vinenix and joxter lead each other back to the cell and everyone goes to bed and rests.
> 
> tbh idk why joxter gets to win but its cuz he's the main and originally the fight wasn't supposed to get SO bad but,,, i needed a way to establish Joxter's fucked up childhood so yeah yeah- (Im projecting, ok ajhshdjd) also??? the other mumriks outside probably wouldn't condone such a,,, fight but they've been locked up for so long :( they rrly don't care anymore :(
> 
> also idk why??? the ending looks kinda bad?? and the pacing was rushed but its as much as i can do as of now :] !
> 
> also I might stop giving myself update time limits because it only stresses me out and i cant write the way i want to :( so,,, jus assume that chapters will be out in either 2 weeks or a month :] !!
> 
> remember, BLM, ACAB, and listen to your POC and indigenous peers and people!
> 
> and drink water and eat :] !
> 
> leave a comment if u can (i read them all and reply to them and they keep me motivated even if its small! :D happy holidays! ^^)
> 
> (p.s just read "a drop in your ocean" by lovelyskies, its safe to say that i am forever emotionally wrecked and i will think of this fic for the rest of my life!! :D please go leave it a kudo and read it! also, read the tags. :] 12/21/2020)

**Author's Note:**

> So it begins.
> 
> Thanks for reading yall! as you've probably seen...This fic will be long and might take a bit to complete! But don't worry chapter 2 is already in the works and almost ready! Stay tuned!  
> Comment n leave kudos if you enjoyed, please! I'd really appreciate it <3  
> (also, if yall dont mind, stop by on my insta @crimeinmoominvalley if you wanna see some GatSwCE art (the story,,) soon when it's complete! thank you! please follow if you want <3)
> 
> (another thing, joxter and mymble know snufkin as Nuuskamuikkunen and not as Snufkin,,, snufkin is a name given to him by a certain family that will be seen soon,, so no one calls him snufkin as a baby!)
> 
> (Aaaaanother thinnnnggggg!! I headcanon that snufkin discovered his spring tune as a memory,, so pwease like,, dont correct me bc ik,,, like,,, dont get ma d- thanks!)


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